Blue Hour
by Here Strikes Dawn
Summary: The Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric and Roy Mustang are nowhere to be found. What remains is the shell of Ed's body which now hosts Pride, the last Homunculus. Only time will tell if the bluebird can be set free again... Bluebird's Illusion, but not quite. RoyXEd
1. Pride

Blue Hour

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters. They belong to Hiromu Arakawa and the respective companies, and I do not own Bluebird's Illusion. I am grateful to be able to create Blue Hour from this beautiful concept.

* * *

This is just a summer holiday venture, so I thought. Blue Hour has been in my head for months and eventually I began to scribble the ideas down. Here is where it leads, and there shall be more coming soon. Pride and the others want the spotlight now, and with that, I hope you enjoy.

 _Edited 01/09/16_

* * *

Prologue:

He was trapped in the dark, a darkness so perpetual that he thought he would never see the sun rise again.

He had been chasing a Homunculus. But Envy had outsmarted him. He had been captured and chained like the weak ass he was.

Edward Elric was bleeding profusely from his head. It felt like a waterfall was pouring out of his skull every damn second. It hurt. His automail arm was wrecked, and his leg was faring little better. If those limbs had been flesh, the horrible way in how the Homunculus had contorted them made Ed certain that his arm and leg, had they not been made of metal, would have been severely broken. He gazed up at the windowless ceiling, the lair of the Homunculi, which was riddled with the scent of death and shadow. It was driving his mind insane. He couldn't sit here and wait because the longer he was here, the closer Al would come to finding him.

And what they would then do to his little brother…

He wouldn't allow that. He would have to escape on his own accord and find Al before Al could find him. His brother being alive and well was his only hope and one of the fuels for his willpower which prevented Ed from surrendering.

He had been left alone for a while now. Ed suspected that an hour had passed since Envy had deposited him here.

 _"Catch ya later, pipsqueak! I still have some dirty work to finish!"_ And then the Homunculus had swaggered off into the curtain of darkness which wreathed around this place like a disease. Ed had collapsed and fell unconscious from the lack of blood being delivered to his brain.

He had come to what felt like five minutes ago. Ed was only guessing that an hour had passed. He sure as hell hoped that he hadn't been unconscious for more than a day…Envy could have definitely captured Al by then.

 _Shut up, dumbass! Give Al a little more credit._ The alchemist had to prioritise escaping over worrying. However, Ed couldn't see more than a metre in front of him and couldn't assess the damage of his body; he could only feel a torrent of blood splashing from his head, he could only feel the crumbling remains of his automail arm as he attempted to move a finger. It was like lifting a block of iron.

With spots of his vision flashing white from the indescribable pain, Ed shifted his torso. His chest burst into imaginary flame inside, as though his insides were brewing a riot against his brain. A couple of broken ribs at least. He just hoped there wasn't any internal bleeding. But Envy had beaten him up pretty severely for him to be captured; Ed wouldn't have surrendered without a fight.

Biting his tongue, Ed mustered his remnants of willpower to rise to his feet. His vision swayed into and out of focus as though he was on a carousel ride going in never-ending circles. His legs threatened to buckle, and his automail was feather weight and almost lifeless, but it was holding. Good enough. Ed injected every ounce of energy into commanding his feet to take a step forwards. The nerves were sluggish as if held up in traffic and the impulses took what felt like years to reach his leg. He winced. Of course it would bloody hurt.

Bend the automail, bend the muscle. Transition my weight forward. Judge the distance and position. Place feet back in the ground. Don't fall over.

For Truth's sake don't fall over.

Don't fall over…

He crashed to the floor before he could balance himself. Automail clattered with the ground creating a screeching resonance. How could he keep going? How could he move forward? He couldn't even move one step…

 _"We can't give up now, Brother."_ Al's voice. He would be alright. Roy and the others would take care of him.

 _"I never thought I would actually appreciate how much beauty the world has at this moment…I believe that I am in love with this view, Fullmetal."_ That was when he had shared the perfection of the Blue Hour with Roy. It had been a beautiful night…

He wanted to hear Al's voice again. He wanted to watch Resembool's sunset with Roy again. He wanted to so badly!

"Brother?" The voice quivered in the thin air like dust. It was a sound Ed didn't want to fade into silence, a sound that would simply fade into the recess of his memory. He wanted that voice to be real. "Brother…where are you?"

Ed clasped a hand over his head. That voice was a mask of disguise. Envy was disguised as Al and then Ed would believe he would be murdered in cold blood by his own brother. Ed wouldn't succumb to that devil's plans so easily.

"Fullmetal? Stop fooling us around," another voice whispered. Roy. Ed's heart raced. First Al. Then _him._ The bastard he had fallen in…

"Ed!" Al's voice burst with excitement like the voice in Ed's memory of a golden-haired boy beating his brother in a sparring match. A voice that sounded so similar to Al's…But it wasn't Al. Envy would keep trying to fool Ed like the fool the Homunculus was.

"You're alive, little flea," a snarky and fond tone from Mustang at the same time. This was torture, Ed thought. Envy was really trying to torture Ed.

There was the faint pad of footsteps in the distance, as quiet as drizzled rain falling; one could almost _feel_ it, but then again, it was so quiet it might not have existed. That was how Ed felt about hope. He couldn't risk feeling the false hope of his brother and the bastard finding him. The blood was no longer pounding in Ed's head; white spots weren't dotted in his line of sight any more. And there was now the chance to think…

 _Envy disguised as Roy called me a "little flea"! Who does he think I am being as short as a microscopic flea that can't even…But…_

But Envy always called Ed "pipsqueak". Only ever that. So…

They were really here.

Al. Roy.

They had come.

"Ed!" Al flung into Ed's arms before Ed could draw in his next breath. Warmth flooded through Ed, not only from Al's flesh body, but from the relief Ed could feel radiating from Al's soul. Tears gushed down Al's face – Ed didn't have to look, he knew – and he wiped them away as gently as dandelion seeds flying in the breeze.

"I'm here, Al. You've got to be strong. The Elric brothers haven't completed their mission yet," Ed murmured rising shakily to his feet.

"'Their' mission, Brother. Not yours alone."

"Fullmetal. I'm glad you're alive," Roy decided he would add. Of course the gallant hero would have to make his appearance known.

"You're just glad I've shortened your paperwork pile by an arm's length, you bastard," Ed growled. "After all, my death would have been slightly problematic for your future career promotions."

"Where is that sweet soul who watched the sunset with me in Resembool?" Roy chided, grinning while shrugging his shoulders innocently.

"Don't throw that at me!" Ed turned abruptly away from Mustang and started to limp towards the spot that both his brother and commanding officer had emerged from.

"I wouldn't move if I were you," another voice added to the commotion. Envy emerged from the distance like a product of darkness, his black hair a silhouette entwined with shadow. He smiled, his teeth widening into a demonic grin. And to that he snapped his fingers, and illuminating, artificial lights flickered on from out of nowhere. Ed's head suddenly started spinning; nausea clutched his insides.

There were in a carnivorous room which threatened to swallow them whole. Ed blinked furiously as his eyesight adjusted from the gloom to the deathly brightness, which was more terrifying than the darkness. Because now the shadows were revealing their secrets. In the centre of the room was a throne laid out on a stone dais. And upon the throne sat a golden-haired man who resembled Ed's father strikingly. However, Ed knew that the man on the throne couldn't be Hohenheim; even his bastard of a father had some human emotion etched into his features. This man wore a blank expression on his face, as though he considered humankind's existence to be irrelevant to the world.

Al tensed beside him. Roy's fingers folded around the fabric of his gloves. Ed tried to focus…but his vision swayed…blood…he had lost far too much blood.

How could he fight to protect these two people?

Envy lunged. Head pounded into the floor. Al transmuting…or something…vision blotchy. Can't lose consciousness. Al shouting something… "run"…

A scream. Couldn't hear anything. Saw Al thud on the floor. Crimson red spilling from Al's delicate body. Rushed forward…must protect Al. Roy moving to stand guard…back turned away…couldn't see his face…

Couldn't see his face as life was ripped away from him…slurred…mind too slurred… couldn't do anything…

COULDN'T DO ANYTHING!

Pain. Not on the outside.

"Bring him to me, Envy…I could make use of you, alchemist. You shall do well in your next life as my Pride."

No…no…no…

They didn't… They couldn't be.

Tears…wet face…indescribable, surmounting pain…vision failing…

 _No..._

 _Not the ones I love._

* * *

Chapter 1: Pride

 _A dream, or a place inbetween._

 _He was alone._

 _A young boy caressed in sunlight waltzed over the dappled pastures back to his home, smiling and laughing merrily all of the way. Away he went with a black and white dog at his heels and a blue-eyed girl who stumbled a few steps behind. She glimpsed around for a moment as the sunlight became swathed in grey from the looming clouds. A hand reached out for them, strengthening into existence by being carved like a silhouette out of shadow as if he could return to that moment. The children stopped, and turned, perplexed, as he was rendered immobile. And suddenly, they continued along their way. So close…so close to the field of dancing daisies…but he was being pulled away from the memory of the times he could never regain…_

* * *

"Pride. My son."

I had awoken from such a realistic dream. There had been colour and light in that dream.

Yet here... yellow, disinterested eyes locked with mine for an instant before they shrugged off and glanced into some unknown horizon. Father. He was seated upon a dais while I was bound by chains below. Above my head, in the corner of my vision, I saw an open pool of a lava-like substance swinging from its container, before chains began to pull, clinking in the distance; the object then started retreating into the shadows.

My body was pressed against a slab, the chains bound tightly to my hands, feet, neck and waist. r to the crimson marks swirling upon my skin, molten embers subduing to form a pattern of tattoos. I trembled once, but all was in vain; it was a futile attempt to escape. There was no point struggling - I was bound, and there was no way in which I could free myself.

The chains were corded tight against my throat, constricting my ability to speak, although there was no purpose in protesting. After all, I lived to serve my Father. The truth behind my appearance in this life. Even though I knew this, these chains were tightly pressed against me, as if I had struggled already. My skin was sore - with angry blotches of red shining from it.

I raised my head towards my Father, who bore only the indifferent complexion that he wore. The being I was unquestioningly drawn into obeying, down to my core. He waved a hand in the air as the chains about my throat clattered to the ground; they had disintegrated into dust.

Collapsing heavily to the ground, the brandishes of agony marked to my skin made me wince, although I was unsure if this was "agony". Some of the red marks were tattooed onto my skin like spirals.

It was like eyes were watching me from around the chamber as I rose shakily to my feet. I bit my lip. In truth, experiencing reality in my own body was a new sensation for me; I had only ever existed as a fragment of Father. In truth... I had never had a body of my own. I had waited so long for a vessel for my soul, a body which I could call my own; another few years would have made so difference to me. But I was here now, the last extraction of Father, and by far his most powerful asset.

Suddenly, nerve sparks shot down my back as an unsympathetic hand slapped my shoulder while I pivoted around so I could look up to my older sibling. I could sense the eminence pouring from his being. The Ouroboros tattoo was the first feature I could clearly see emblazoned upon his thigh - it stood out like a bright light - and he radiated a cruel authority. This individual, dark mass of hair unfurling across his back, laughed at me.

My sibling extended a hand to help me rise fully from the slab. As seconds crawled by, I accepted his help reluctantly until I was competent enough to stand upon my own two feet. I was being made a _fool._ As I straightened out and flexed my muscles, rearing up to my full height, my head barely reached his neck, and this stretching causing numerous muscles in my back to twinge. I would not be made a _fool._

However, there was respect wavering from me and I had gained enough height to gaze at the jealousy being emitted from my sibling. He was dressed in a black garment, a three-point headband resting on his forehead, illuminating his eyes. Purple, velvet-brimmed eyes flaring only with the dominance over his newly-born sibling and the jealousy restricted to the antics of humans; those were eyes burning with Envy which was his sin. I knew.

Envy pouted with his head tilted downwards. The faintest emotion of sympathy stirred in his gaze. I looked between him shrugging and Father paused like a tableau on his throne, wondering how portions of the same soul could be so _different._

Inside, I started to shake, and this trembling sensation was spreading along one of my arms, one of my legs, my abdomen. Suddenly my vision flashed black and I was skimming rapidly in and out of focus, like a pebble glossing over water. I was blind one moment, and then not. I tried to control my body, which protested mightily.

I heard Envy, by some undiscovered rapport of sharing Father's one soul that was split with me, understood. He clasped at my shoulder to which he growled, staring at our Father, still seated upon the dais, with a discerned expression worn above his scowl.

"Hey, Father! Think about what his body has endured for the past hour! Transmute him something, will ya?" Envy waved to guide our creator's attention from the book firmly implanted in his hands. Seconds passed…but Father's attention waned as he focused back into the reality plane, some emotion stirred in his frame as he tapped his finger once upon the throne. Crackles of blue energy sparked around me and I fixed my eyes shut at the bright light, another human instinct that had dawned upon me.

This process was entirely new to me, but it was the magic of alchemy. The sound of rocks distorting and reconstructing echoed in the hollow chamber that my Father and siblings lived beneath, but despite this being "home", I refused to open my eyes, as if I never wanted to bear witness to the divine transmutations that delved into the world of alchemy. I knew about light and dark, lies and truth, virtue and sin, although I had yet to experience the tantalising prospect of this world in a body of my own. And I owed it all to my Father.

"Come on, you softy! Look at what Father created for you," Envy said sarcastically, and then added while muttering sternly to himself. "Being the youngest and he has to receive a far more pleasant welcome than I did…"

While my eyes were closed, I could hear the pumping of a liquid inside of my chest, and then the sound expanded to the pipes along the wall of the lair, the only room I had viewed with my eyes. There had been a mirage and flicker of images of Xerxes, a land of golden sand; Xing, the land of shadows; the daunting view of the world from the white-capped mountain range of Drachma; the sporadic travels above the earth through Father's eyes, but they had primarily been made in the underground, the centre of the universe, or the circle. Home. The images were distorted in my mind, like an oasis and lacked the clarity of seeing them with my own eyes, not being fragments of information from Father. Never though through my own eyes.

I had dared not displease him. I had been awaiting this day since that great unrest and shuffling of souls when the first of the seven had been extracted. The first Homunculus had been Lust, representing Father's ever increasing the thirst and lust for knowledge. And then a brother of mine had been extracted two centuries ago, possessing the desire of Greed, which caused a cataclysmic stirring in Father's core as he rebelled against Father, as he had ventured beyond the realm of the lair which had angered the tidal depths of souls within Father. Then Envy...Sloth...Gluttony...Wrath...Pride...

And here I was, the portion of a soul powered by multiple thousands of souls now belonging to me. Until my extraction, Father had still pondered on the workings of the world with a lingering curiosity he was unwilling to impart on, but these had to be removed, and now they resided in me. Then I had awoken and I was bestowed the gift of a body I was unacquainted with, which had made me oblivious and doubtful to what these emotions were. But nevertheless...they were a gift.

"Pipsqueak. _Open your eyes!"_ my sibling called to me once again in the ringing silence and I rapidly opened my orbs which allowed me to see the scope of the world I had arisen into. The world of shadows which was my paradise by right. Tingles once again shot down my spine, although this sensation collected and focused in my stomach, draped with the crimson scars that had boiled over my skin while I had drifted unconsciously in the molten orange of lava, now bubbling in its container far above. Even with my intertwined connection with Father, I had no thought of what the substance was conjured from.

My attention returned upwards to the rotating chains clinking in union away from my head and into the unoccupied space above, where nothingness reigned. However, below an object had materialised from alchemy, the object which Father had transmuted. Despite how it was a chair, the design made the artefact different from any chair I had seen in Father's mind's eye. The main supporting frames curled backwards into a spiral pattern of metal; two main frames facing vertically while flat horizontal beans connected the vertical frames, one set at either end of the structure. It was made out of tree bark…no, this was artificial… it was wood.

Some voice in my mind was silently scorning me. Of _course you should know this, you're an alche-_

 _No._

Father could transmute stone into a living feature in a second. My mind suddenly collected together the fragments of information and alchemic equations to how the transmutation occurred, but still, I could not use alchemy. I was not an _alchemist_.

He was upon his throne as Envy guided me to its base; ornate figures decorated the Centre of the Universe, an alchemic principal that Father had been… applying. However, since my extraction, I felt that I understood less about him and I had started to confabulate with my own experiences, eyes and fascinations of my body; I was already beginning to differentiate from him.

I carefully placed myself upon the seat, perched on the edge. Some instinct caused me to heighten my guard and not to lean back in my seat but as Father quizzically observed my stature, I leaned back, afraid that I would fall. Some instinct which was to undermine my Father…I may not have been purified of all but my deadly sin despite the work of Father to give me this body. Why would I feel the desire to disgrace Father?

While I peered blankly into the vaulted heavens above, Envy forced me to budge over as he was about to flop into the seat beside me, until an unexpected hand was raised by Father; he regressed into silence during these "sibling quarrels", or from what idle thought triggered inside of my mind on the matter.

"Wait a moment there, Envy," Father cautioned to which the individual with the ratty black hair waved his arms in the air in protest, while I moved along the seat and bowed my head in Father's direction. I would not be involved in their petty quarrels, but externally, my emotions reflected impassively, as if a churning black chasm lurked behind me, swallowing up all of the feelings I could generate.

"I know my true form can be problematic, Father. I was only joking around," Envy slopped onto the floor and caused faint cracks to arise in the surface of the rocks, almost lamenting under his hulking frame. Each of my siblings had a special gift bestowed upon them by Father, and Envy's, his Ultimate Form, was the uncanny ability to those outside of the shadow world to shape-shift. However, I responded with a cock of my head to the side. Curiosity. Another instinct developing… and slipping as Father tapped his fingers to the throne once, lightly, but which resounded in the chamber like an ancient throbbing, diverting my attention away from Envy. Said sibling was now twirling loose strands of hair with gracefully pivoting index movements.

"Pride. My son. How does your new body feel? What is it like to have a tangible existence?" Father methodically questioned. Envy snorted. His tone lacked the clear ability to feel raw emotion, since all of his seven desires had been extracted out of his body. And I was the last. I gazed absent-mindedly at my hands, still sore from where the swirls of boiling crimson tattoos had been woven into my skin. I nodded towards Father before I sat up, the… bench creaking beneath me, complaining, not lamenting, with my eyes wide open. At that second, the first words escaped my lips, a voice chiming across the room, a melodic tune, and then I spoke. Dutiful.

"Thank you, my Father," I lowered my head once again to the throne as my creator caused the bench to dissipate back into the earth. However, that instinct, the one which would not be quelled, surged alive through me, the devotion to live up to my virtues, or sin, to take pride in serving my Father. "I will serve you through my undying days; any use of me and I will be there."

"Ok, ok. He is _not_ that menace. The first Pride was not like this at all! He's now a ragdoll! I cannot believe that the pipsqueak is being so formal. When would Pride ever say that? How outdated has your Philosopher's Stone been these past fifty years?" Envy slapped his hands against his knees, looking as flabbergasted as Father remained neutrally composed. I was unsure how to feel… I was Pride. There was not ever another. But according to Envy...there had been another Pride. I instead turned away as the black-haired Homunculus cut his questions through to Father.

"Hush with your raptures, Envy. I wish to speak to my son alone." Father had spoken. Through some deep residing honour or sheer contempt, Envy scowled to himself, turning his face away from Father before muttering to some non-existent entity about favouritism and sibling rivalry.

Once the door had slammed shut behind him, the chamber shook momentarily as Father rose, as though a pillar and structure to the centre of the world was shaking, and he stepped down from the throne. But the throne did not alchemically decompose into rock and waste. His sandals padded over the stoned ground below, treading warily as though carrying a burdensome load and stared down to face me. The last Homunculus. Father was silent.

"What would be your bidding, Father," I announced with fluidity, but somewhere, a segment of my catalyst, my Stone, flared with disgust. My body was over a head, possibly two, shorter than Father's and a misted silence followed; speaking would cause the invisible mist of tension to collapse and freeze my shoulders, so I vouched for the quiet. Father inspected his results, tapping my Ouroboros tattoo on my left shoulder once so the crimson marks ceased to glow a molten, ethereal colour. While I remained indifferent as he scoped at his creation, a lock of hair held back by a thick band came into my peripheral vision as he brought it closer to my face.

Miraculously the red elastic had survived the extraction, loosened as Father ripped the band out, causing the ponytail to collapse. It was in that moment that the human's life before mine was over. Waves of golden hair tossed down my back and my shoulders to which I caught a strand twirling to the floor, which I held closely to my chest. It felt warm, a comforting presence pressed against my skin. Through my mind's eye, I was reminded of how all of my siblings had hair as dark as night, while mine was graced golden by the Sun in the exact image of my Father, although mine was the closest shade to gold, as if it had cascaded down to Earth from the remnants of the Sun's fire-storm from the heavens. This was the gift I had been blessed with, a heritage none other could boast of.

"Pride, you have served me willingly from within my sub-conscious for the past centuries. You are Pride. While it is true that you are a piece of my soul and my most affluent essence, you now have your own identity. Do not dwell on some trivial past," Father retraced his steps so he finally reached my eye, I responded with a head bowing into submission.

"Yes, I will, Father."

"When in contact with the outside world, talk in their colloquial language. Even though the inefficient form of communication in this time era perturbs me, we cannot raise suspicion with our enemies." Father steadily returned to his dais, flicking the red band which had been secured in my air, whirling it around on his window finger before allowing it to rest on the plateau beside his throne. I wanted to tie it up. I didn't understand why. My scalp itched without it, as though the last flickers of my human form had been removed. This was nothing to me, but everything too.

Suddenly, the ground quaked with a violent shudder as an object spun through the air, clattering against my forehead. Assuming this was my cranky sibling, I awaited the heavy indentations of his feet to crash into the ground, although none followed. My eyes lifted to Father tiresomely raising a finger and tapping it on his entombed throne once again, the ground shook, a weaker tremor. This time the object was hurled by a jet of stone into my hands, materialised through alchemy; I had to leap to clutch the item, sending an electric-dagger-ripple pain along my left side, searing my leg. That's when I noticed that was where the spiral tattoos ended, just above my left knee, and the same for my right arm; some significance resonated in the recess of my mind, but this was a faint tingle, and faded away as one turned from a naïve childhood memory. The object was a case containing a cream of some sort.

"Those will help with your brandishing marks, Pride. Unfortunately, this was the repercussion of your extraction, the most tenacious of all. Consider it another gift from your Father," the Philosopher reached to the plateau and pulled a notebook out from a mass of pipes, bound with leather and string, a treasure from the remnants of Xerxes.

"You are a Homunculus. Your name is Pride. Therefore you bow down to nobody in the world above. Never forget that, my son." Father then began to ponder through his notebook in his lap while I remained firmly in place, refusing to move without having been summoned by Envy or chased away. The minutes ebbed by into hours which surpassed with the flicking through his book. An absence and abundance of thoughts flowed through my mind. I wanted to explore this place and assert my honour. I wanted to prove that I was here.

But I contemplated to inspect the room, I realized that this reality...I was now a part of it. I wasn't looking through Father's eyes, a chaos of souls in his Philosopher's Stone. Here I was. Look to the future. Follow the commands which my core was harrowed to obey from Father.

My attention suddenly refocused on the pipes along the chamber floor, providing his life source in addition to my own, wound like serpents towards the throne, entwining and rooting from the centre of every alchemic principal, the centre of every Homunculus' construction point. I had been created here. Each pipe had contents diffidently flowing through its veins to return to Father's heart, the replicated Xerxean.

No existence in the cavern thrived as the liquid travelled through the expanse of tunnels under the ground; however, creatures were pattering down the many antechambers which disconnected from the central lair, the throne room. That privilege was withheld for the Homunculi.

A sound had commenced to patter from the top of the building as the astral world above shifted into night, and the patter cascaded into a melancholy intensity. The rain drifted back into a drizzle a few moments later. I knew it was rain, but despite how I was aware of the substances and experiences from Father, I had yet to witness them as Pride, as my own entity. I had never felt the rain, with golden hair soaked and falling down my back like a rippling sun ray, water lashing against my tattoos. Eyes open, capturing every moment, neck craned back as the soul of the storm unravelled its chaos.

My hands reached out in front of me, and clenched lightly. I wanted to be a part of this world, until the storm ended.

So many feelings, but none at the same time. Here I was at the Centre of the World.

It all started with this moment. Here Pride was born.


	2. Siblings

Blue Hour

Here is the chapter for today. Even though this chapter is called Siblings, Pride does not actually meet the other Homunculi. There is a reason for it's name. All shall be revealed.

Enjoy :D

 _Edited 10/09/16_

* * *

Chapter 2: Siblings

Father's voice broke through the silence in a bored and disinterested tone. "Envy, your presence in the room is wanted."

I snapped out of my thoughts Envy stormed into the lair, disrupting the serene silence which had transcended from the heavens above before his arrival.

A voice lingered inside of my mind to challenge, to _defy,_ his authority, although he was another superior in the hierarchy of Sin. I shrugged the feeling away.

The smirk grin on Envy's expression widened as he strutted through the chamber doors, swinging on their heels as he had achieved his desire, rubbing his hands together as if warming them in front of a furnace. Father ignored his son, paying no attention as he continued to read his book. The black-clothed Homunculus could act how he wanted.

"Now, pipsqueak. Or little brother. Even though I have wanted a sibling to order around for centuries, to me you are still a brat. Nobody gets preferential treatment under my watch," he fastened a devil-glare towards Father. But he was ignored.

Father had picked up the red band, expressing only an absence of interest in how Envy interacted with me, as though he was a bored audience member in a theatre.

Envy seemed to be metres taller than me... I straightened up, and glared at Envy in the eye…except that he was even taller than Father. He squatted down, opening _mocking_ me, and snatched the cream out of my hands, glowering with a smile only a menace like him could execute.

My brother cracked his knuckles, loosening the dredging muscle in his shoulders and tossed the cream down one of the many antechambers, so it was lost with a clatter of sound. The sound was then consumed by the darkness after another second had passed as the Homunculus lumbered over to Father's throne. Envy's tone adopted a serious tone.

"Father…we have had success. The bodies have been identified and Lust is taking them up to Central Command, although there will be some calamity with only two being present. They may think the other is alive. Well, we thought it would be a nice surprise-"

"Stop her. Immediately," he seized the sceptre none but the Homunculi could peer at and he pointed it at Envy, the ultimate obedience weapon; it shimmered a rusty gold shade, although in the darkness, the weapon was woven in a black vortex from within the chamber, its red adopted its own hue. It looked like concentrated blood.

"You have made yourself a target with the humans in the military. How very foolish. I am disappointed in you, Envy." Father said earnestly.

I tried to disguise my evident confusion - I could not fathom who 'they' were.

My sibling remained unperturbed by Father's scolding and forewarning; he continued to fiddle with the hair attacking every direction as gravity continued to repel it. His voice suddenly roared as he broke forth with a torrent of laughter, all earnest complexion washed away in the blink of an eye as he adopted his usual slapstick demure, veiling the jealously and sadistic joy which lingered deep beneath. "Do not worry, Paps. Lust has left the dogs a winding trail to follow, although I doubt it is long before the blonde one at the heels of the Flame Alchemsit takes her vengeance. We will keep a close watch on her, but the storm outside has removed our tracks, and even their best hounds at Investigations will not get a sniff of our little…incident. Why don't we go and sing in the rain as one big, complete family. The first time we have all been _together,"_ his lips puckered in disgust at this human behaviour. "For Hawkeye, we were thinking that a snug little cell in Central Prison would be suitable. What do you say, Daddy dearest?"

I did not summon the motivation to refute. And Father had returned to his book; there was no interest in worrying about insects meddling in the immortals' affairs. "Enough of your nonsense, Envy. But ensure that this meddling human is dealt with effectively. I shall not have such quarrelsome behaviour here again. Pride, go with your sibling. Listen to him and learn, for he has collected valuable experience through his duties."

A wave of a hand from Father was the signal for dismissal. As I wandered to Envy's side, his lilac-violet eyes narrowed down to slits, festering with jealously over…something. I didn't linger on these doubts since he was Envy. He had been born with an unmatched jealousy.

But Envy froze, as if he had suddenly remembered something, and his rigid legs pivoted around to face our creator. "Clearly trying to fool him, aren't you?" His back arched and his leg with the Ouroboros emblazoned upon his thigh leaned forward, as though he was an animal threatening intruders. "'Learning a virtue'. What will you do this time, Father? Teach him patience? Kindness? Diligence? And hope he does not retaliate? All you did was have him wait around for hours on end for no apparent reason except to ensure that he does not follow Lust's trail.

"You have to remember, Paps. Pride is the most curious of us all."

What did that even mean? Exactly - I already had a mind full of swimming questions.

No. They were nothing. He was Envy, but I was Pride. I had to be obedient. On that thought, Envy turned to speak to me, "Hey, Pride. Go and find that cream. Wait there for me, for I have an unfinished…conversation to complete with our Father."

He wanted me to be distracted; there really was something important he had to tell Father.

While Father had not reacted once to Envy since he had entered, his only visual cue to show that he had been listening silently was the subtle nod as I looked in his direction. _Go._

With his approval, I nodded my head in response, leaving the room as my solitary footsteps lightly touched upon the floor. Turning the corner, the cream had been wedged in the pipes branching off into the rest of my home, to which they eventually rose to join with the world of light. A foreign place.

I had left the throne room. But I wanted to go back inside. I shook my head and focused on the calculating gaze in Father's eyes. He knew I was curious. He knew I wanted to understand what was going on around me. It felt like I was at the centre of a dilemma I knew nothing about.

As I awaited the arrival of Envy, as opposed to the eagerness of seeing the outside world in which I had yearned to witness for a long time with my own eyes, or curiosity at meeting my other siblings, I opted for listening.

I knew that I shouldn't. But...I could hear their voices from the throne room...just a heartbeat away...

I turned my head to the side, unaccustomed to how easily the muscles responded to the stimuli in my surroundings, and how simple neurone signals could operate an entire body. Envy's voice drifted down through the tunnels and even though he spoke in a low mutter, his tone barely audible, I could hear every syllable perfectly, like he was speaking directly to me.

I could feel my heartbeat accelerate beneath my tattoos. And before I could move away from the sound, I had become its victim. I began to hear the conversation. Envy was speaking.

"You didn't want any of his memories to jog, did you, Father? Is that fear I see? Nah…that would be taking your emotional capacity a bit too far. Oh and what about the golden recluse, Hohenheim. He's been spotted in the area recently according to Lust. I wonder how he will react to the murder of his sons." I clutched my golden hair tight.

"Pride will remember nothing. E...E...(the name was whispered so quietly I couldn't hear it) is dead and that he will remain."

"So you are admitting you could not purify that pipsqueak-"

I could sense the internal sigh of Father, wishing for his son to abate in his foolishness and depart the chamber, so he could consult back to his research. Father only spoke when necessary, and necessary it was to obtain his own peace. "Better caution than recklessness, Envy. Do not be so abrupt with your loving Father again or you shall have to be punished. Lust will be more than content to assume the title of mentor to Pride. Now do as I bid, my son."

With a swath bow I imagined Envy performing, the heavy crunching of stone being kicked from the Homunculus' bulking form resounded around the antechamber. The pebble rolled past my feet. Envy stepped on it and reduced it to dust. As he approached me with a sly grin and beckoned me forward with a loose wave, I quickly followed after him.

* * *

Envy was talking about the world of Amestris. The country which was my one and only home. And how I would have to adjust to having my own body.

"Father never usually reveals too many details with his souls in his Philosopher's Stone. Likes to maintain his 'identity' or something. But the point is, you have memories from Father, but with the specifics, you are a novice like I was. So, we are below Central City. Pretty cool, huh." Envy raised a hand to inspect the artificially lighted passageways, no longer dark and harbouring shadow as they did from their source. "There are five areas in Amestris, one for each point on the compass and of course, my favourite, the Central Area. We, the Homunculi, have ricocheted violence to secure the five points for the Transmutation Circle-"

"To harness the soul, or the fifth element, to extract the Philosopher's Stones," I finished and Envy blinked once, his pupils wide before assuming their reptilian form again. His evident surprise was raw; Homunculi supposedly had no knowledge into the art of alchemy, however, I had known since before my extraction. Somehow. It was only the divine creator who should be able to wield such a power and not his children.

"Ok, kid. You know one thing about alchemy. Now would you shut up so I can do my job?" Silence followed as the black-haired lifeform stomped his foot impatiently on the ground while his torso leaned against the side wall. "Each of the older Homunculi govern an area of Amestris. Father has Wrath to keep a check on any possible uprisings in our territory, and then we solve said dilemma in the most…effective and efficient manner. One day I will tell you about Ishval, Pride; the glory and bloodshed which sapped the desert of all sand and became a hellish nightmare.

"Oh no, the best one was when I shot that man disguised as his wife! His dying face was perfect as I shot him through his broken heart! Humans are such weak and foolish creatures..."

Envy continued, but I pictured each scene of bloodshed in my mind, imagining the fire which water could not quench, the cries of children which could not be sated; it was not a victory to Father, but it was to Envy.

It was almost laughable. How could seven Homunculi be the root of so much havoc? Gluttony and his piggish appetite allowed him to devour all evidence when the situation became bloody; Lust, able to obtain any form of intelligence through her appealing characteristics to humans; Envy, the bringer of mayhem and hell, revelling in his destruction; Sloth, the tank who had not suffered from a mortal injury; Wrath, calm and composed as he slashed his victims to shreds. And I, Pride, who was above and below them all.

Cackling deviously to himself over the satisfaction of not being a human, Envy had completed his monologue, while I lifted my head to look at the ceiling, pondering on the habits of the Homunculi, when for now I would have been content to listen to the rain fall all night.

At that instant, a sound rumbled from somewhere. But there was quiet outside. I glanced from side to side, anticipating some form of attack. Envy glared at me, an earnest complexion on his face for once, and then he released an exasperated laugh. "Envy…what is happening to me?" I was not in shock or fearful, although I was uncertain to what was happening. And when Envy ignored me, chuckling into his mass of hair, I realized he knew what I did not. My insides stabbed, clawing at my abdomen until it subsided into a dull ache. I clutched my skin in-between my items of clothing when a voice rang in my mind. A command which Father had ushered to him – "feed the prisoners" – otherwise Envy would have willingly allowed the lesser lifeforms to die.

That thought triggered the growling sensation in my stomach. My body was more human than that of my sister and brothers, excluding Wrath. I stared at Envy, remembering the sensations of having each sin being extracted away from me, until I had been left alone in Father's core. Each of my siblings had a body reconstructed in one of Father's experiments, a body which needed to water, no sleep, no food.

But I did. I was alone in that sense.

Envy slapped me. I realized that I was shivering. Soon his agitated tone reverberated through my ears, growling, "Focus your energy within yourself, Pride. Count how many souls there are. Don't think about the exact number because if you reside in your core for too long," he shuddered. "That is _Hell._ "

The moment I closed my eyes and pushed the hunger away, I was being tugged into my inner conscience, like a whirlpool dragging me into its depths. Envy's voice faded to be substituted with a faint drone at some inhuman pitch. I moved closer to the sound, swimming in my sub-consciousness, the buzz separated into different sounds, all inaudible whispers. The mirage of sound merged, exploding into a cacophony. Voices screamed at me to return to them what was theirs, but which Father had claimed many centuries ago.

"My body…what have you done with my body?"

"All I want is to see the Sun again…why can't I _see?_ "

Hands clamped over my eardrums, while I begged for the symphony of agony to stop. Stop. Stop! I was still locked in that void, this thread of humanity which lingered at my core. I was surrendering, but I was Pride. These souls merely existing as catalysts to drain as mindless energy. Crimson ignited in front of me, submerging me. And this was the ultimate alchemic achievement – the Philosopher's Stone. Despite the eternities of existing within Father's core, this uproar had never occurred to me before. But still I felt alone, and I would never be able to diffuse this emotion into nothingness…

* * *

I slumped beside the glowing white walls as my chest heaved and I choked for each breath. Envy nodded at me once, the slightest indication at his remorse to our shared experience. He rolled his shoulders experimentally, unaware of my bleeding palms; my nails had dug into them, drawing blood to the surface. The Stone cured these injuries before I could even notice them.

"Father's chamber really does give me shoulder cramps. It's still night so the training grounds will be emptier than usual. We should spar. Now," he stormed forward and after several paces, I began to feel cool air buffeting at my feet. As I was about to question my appetite, Envy reached out to a counter and reached inside, pulling out a green object to which I caught with a free hand, the other still held tightly to my side.

"The food for the prisoners or occasionally for Wrath is in there. We don't replenish the stocks too often, so try not to over-indulge. There's a reason why Gluttony is prohibited from entering this corridor." The very image of Gluttony sobbing over a lost dinner caused a peculiar emotion full of pride for the privileges I possessed over him. I laughed.

"But Envy. I can't spar. I have this body," I flexed out my arms. "It has become a part of me, although I don't understand how to fully control it yet. And after listening to my core…"

"Well, that means you're going to lose!"

Envy smirked and started to run down a left turn as the white walls melded into the colour of ceramic bricks. While I deftly rubbed the cream along my spiral tattoos, I tasted the apple, squirming at the sour juice and spitting out the hard, black seeds so they left a winding trail on the floor. And then I started to run. Finally, after being trapped within that void for centuries, unable to traverse the bridge of freedom as I waited in the lair of Father. The outside world awaited me. Tomorrow duties called upon me and I considered this delegate with significance at proving my worth to Father, not out of jealousy or as a noble sentiment, but because that was my _instinct._

Little remained of the day but nevertheless the light of the underground was quickly sapped away by the light of the surface. My hair became matted and pounded against my chest, and my pupils dilated to accommodate for the darkness which waited beyond. Euphoria and sheer exhilaration surged through me; now I could feel the rain in a body of my own.

I reached the surface with the next step. Central City dazzled in the horizon, a spectacle of glowing lights as my feet first sank into the soft undergrowth. Celestial powers governed the landscape but the city air blocked out the majority of the fusion lights above. I glanced around a courtyard of gravel and vines with trees leading to some exotic garden beyond. Aside from the ethereal luminescence of the winking lamps dotted around the courtyard, every matter was a hue of colour and shadow, and in the centre of the courtyard, the shapes distorted to reveal Envy's position. He whistled and moments later a bird replied to his call in the distant vegetation paradise. Behind him…before the glistening mass of the city, a mile away from where I was standing was a looming wall. Curls of ivy crawled like ladders along the structure, which drifted from one wall to another and another, stretching back and joining together. A mansion with chimneys whirling smoke into the air.

Envy remained unperturbed by the mansion and whistled the last line of his chorus, to which the birds fell silent. The hush of the violet twilight was interrupted by the cracking of his fingers which diverted my attention from the regal structure beyond. Was this the Presidential Estate? The Homunculus answered my unasked question through the quizzical feature on my expression. "This is the 'retreat' the Fuhrer has available to him on request, although the mansion is rarely occupied beside from the trusted military personnel that are directly under the control of Wrath. So it may be impressive, but it is not the Presidential Estate. That's in the heart of Central, where you were extracted."

I realized the huge distance we had crossed and the beads of sweat collecting at my wrists and neck, allowing the air to cool my body. Thinking of another ideal which Father had pondered on for several years, confusion abruptly stole the wonder of the waning daylight. "Wrath is a part of the Final Stage. So why did Father extract me now and not beforehand?" My expression darkened, concentrated gold flaring against the subtle hues of the night, demanding an answer and not relenting. The very call for arrogance.

The Homunculus shrugged his shoulders, dismissing the concern, but his feet tapped against the gravel below. "Nobody knows what is going on inside Father's head, even though we are a part of him still. The senior Homunculi have been given snippets of information to his intentions, but he will reveal more to us when the time for his real purpose is nigh. That should be soon, considering that Pride the Arrogant has been extracted." He yawned, evidently bored with praising his sibling and apprentice. "You will catch a cold if we remain out here all night. Are we going to spar or not?"

My vision flashed white.

* * *

 _A voice. A child's voice, asking the same question in a gentle and tender tone. They had been collecting minerals all day, and finally it was scooped together in the basement. He was weary and was about to pick up his book when the voice badgered at him again. The same question._

 _"Come on, Brother! We need to spar or we'll never become stronger than Teacher!"_

 _He gazed outside of the window and rolled his eyes at the other, suggesting how they could spar in the dark. But he was dragged up the stairs, through the hallway and out of the front door. And he gasped. Despite the ushering night towards the west, the sky burned a vermillion red, spattering across the sky, colliding into colours bright. In the centre of the hues, the other stood and smiled, throwing a stick at him. He grinned, catching the stick as he ran and together they began to spar, unmatched against the blue._

 _They danced a rhythmic battle. But in the end, the other won. Typically._

 _The other…his one true sibling._


	3. Sparring Frenzy

Blue Hour

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters. They belong to Hiromu Arakawa and the respective companies, and I do not own Bluebird's Illusion. I am grateful to be able to create Blue Hour from this beautiful concept.

* * *

Plot development time! I realized that my original plan diverted from the main plot a little too much, and so I hope that this chapter focuses a little more on the incidents at the end of Bluebird's Illusion. I know that there may appear to be some errors to you dedicated Fullmetal fans. In Brotherhood, Greed is captured by Wrath and his soul is rejoined with Father's, but unfortunately all seven Homunculi have to be on the "front line", and not within the safety of Father. I apologize that our favourite main cast have not made an appearance yet. There is a wait to go still.

Please enjoy this chapter.

* * *

Chapter 3: Sparring Frenzy

"Pride."

I stumbled wearily from the dream, and now, the adrenalin was coursing through my veins. The sun had set. My arms bent forward, soaking in the last rays of twilight before the darkness was left to reign over the courtyard. While Envy walked about the courtyard, diminishing the lights so they only shone on our faces. Even my own feet melded into the earth, with only the crimson swirls as beacons to guide my path. My toes curled into the ground, stabbing into my feet, a charring cold sensation, before a fist engaged with my face.

The unprecedented force collided with my cheek and sent me reeling, and as my legs stumbled backwards to balance my body, a foot snaked out from behind me, causing my arms to flail uselessly in the air to which the connected with the ground with a _thud._ Envy's face blended into the yawning chasm of black and only his snarky grin and violet eyes shimmered. With a light brush of the breeze, he had vanished in the time I had to blink.

I did not have control of my body. But the adrenalin rushed through my fingertips and I leapt to my feet, looking at the golden threads winding down my back; they stood out like a human amongst the Homunculi. My black garment could disguise its bright colouring, and so I tucked the mass into the back of my neck where it held firmly. A rustle. And smack.

The blow landed in my right side, toppling me backwards again. Although this time I placed a foot forward just in front of me, and crouched to the floor, ducking the foot as it went sliding over my head. This body could move fast, incredibly fast. The crunch of a leg in the gravel just behind me caused my body to involuntarily flinch backwards, where his arms came into contact with my neck. Even though Envy was shaking his leg out of the ground, he had constricted my neck, any tighter, and my windpipe would be blocked, any movement, I would be dead.

"First kill. So, how many will it take for you to learn how weak you are?" The Homunculus moved his hands from my neck and offered a hand to help me to my feet. Precaution flared through me and that I should not trust his motives. I remained crouched like a feral animal and glared at him, unaware of how the night wound its ebony embrace across the landscape. If I had not been distracted into defending my own life, the beauty of the night would have mesmerized me. Mystified.

Before I had a moment to reply, the moon pierced through the clouds and threw her silver spear over the courtyard, causing splinters of light to partition across the courtyard. While my eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, Envy's death grip slipped away. I realized that I had been cornered, which strategically had left me with no defence to manoeuvre. Moonlight refracted across my back across to the centre of the courtyard. Too exposed and open. My body jerked upwards as the other Homunculus caused me to rear upwards, a torrent of energy which he had only perfected wielding through his Ultimate Form. As I fell, his arm shaped and mutated into a blade which slashed at my leg causing a searing pain to burn across the skin. Crackles of alchemic energy flew into the air as the wound knitted itself back together, although while the miracle of my Stone shocked me, hands trembling, the blade jutted at the bridge between my neck and shoulders.

"Second kill. Now we can cut off that hair…" The dagger-hand moved across to my hair. It hadn't been cut short since…that day. That day which had no meaning. A cry ricocheted from my core and growling through bared teeth, I lunged at Envy, pivoting on the balls of my feet while pushing the blade in his direction. Before it had snagged any of his own hair, Envy shape-shifted his dagger into a green matter where his arm stretched, distorting into a shape, expanding until it wrapped around my knees, catching me off balance so I collided with the gravel again.

"This is futile, Envy. I cannot fight," I struggled, the anger subsiding into nothingness. Another emotion. But then the Pride surged through me. "I won't be beaten you, Envy."

"I never knew Father could create such a weak Homunculus," and then to himself. "He is not that menace for sure, different battle technique entirely." Envy sighed and slumped to the gravel as he waited for his effect to catalyse; he knew that I would not be insulted. And I evaluated his words of the lesser lifeforms. My commandments were to learn from Envy and serve my Father loyally through the future centuries of my existence. I would not be insulted by him. Never. "Prove yourself, Pride!"

But I did not know how to control myself; the movements were neither as fluid nor as poised as Envy's. "We will spar, not cower in the shadows."

I stepped forward and adopted a stance, crouching low despite my smaller height. Envy crawled forward and extended his arm towards me again. It slivered low and at the last moment it rose directly upwards. I dodged to the left side and strode towards his distended arm, twisting it into a knot with a momentum causing Envy to spit and curse before dragging the limb back to its original size. Again I assumed my crouch to which he ran to meet. Left block. Sidestep. Pivot. Right-hand punch. All in rapid succession. However, I overestimated the strength of the muscle; there was no power in the attack. Envy seized my weakness and kicked his knee into my stomach. The impact did not hurt but my ego had been tempered with.

As the Homunculus lunged at me with a punch, I repeated a move and ducked, and so Envy pushed his entire body weight forwards, and floundered. Only for a second. His leg splayed backwards, and his mass caused the foot up until the upper ankle to be submerged in dirt. My own leg darted out from under me as I crouched, slipping past his unbalanced limb so Envy turned around…to see me land a left-handed punch into his cheek. He glared at me for an instant before retreating and rising to his feet, tiptoeing so as not to cause indentations into the gravel; his Ultimate Form was his most supreme attack, but it was also his most severe weakness.

A hand. Crashed into my chest. Tripped backwards. Falling. Envy leaned his dagger-arm against my throat, all signs of defeat wiped away with his façade as the victory was his. "Third kill. And I win. But that last attack was…interesting."

"I will not have my hair cut," I muttered as I wiped the dirt from my shoulders, allowing my Ouroboros tattoo to showcase my namesake. The courtyard immediately was too artificial for me, but my body sagged with numbness, tiredness. I compensated by sitting in a moonlit patch, the lights too far away to blind my eye, and only the twinkling features of the mansion and Central City shone in my line of vision. Envy remained in the shadows but I did not turn around. The exhaustion was physically beginning to weigh me down but as soon as I was draped in darkness again, the first drop landed on my head.

Rain.

Tiredness was washed away as the single drops joined into an array of pattering, each individual voyaging upon their own path, mingling like elements binding to one another and never letting go. The water left a trail dripping down my face. My eyes lifted as a thousand moonbeams dazzled into reality, dancing between each raindrop, a mirage and kaleidoscope of rainbow colours alive without the fire of the Sun. A right hand lifted with no crimson tattoos obscuring the beauty of the rain showers, even though it was not a storm.

But as quickly as they had appeared was how quickly they vanished too; the sky had put an embargo on the rain from splashing into the ground. The world fell into a hush again. With that, Envy climbed to standing and padded over to where I was gazing at the last remnants of the raindrops, fading away into oblivion as if the city was wandering when anything would happen.

"So you like the rain, huh," Envy questioned, slouching to the ground again, as though the sparring exhausted his body when it was not human. I nodded in response, choosing to wrap my hair around my fingers, shivering despite the warm summer twilight. My core was unsettled and the silence was unnerving.

"You are still not cutting my hair, Envy," I tucked my legs and held them close to my chest, but my eyes surveyed the horizon, shoulders and upper body tense. However, whether Envy understood my grievances or not, he laughed in response, placing a hand upon my shoulder.

"Typical." He was then quiet, his body fidgeting in evident boredom after staring for an extended period at a tree. Suddenly, his body became rigid and his head lowered, strained, towards the ground in which Father's underground lair existed beneath.

"Typical of whom?" An endless tide of thoughts filled my mind, and even though Envy at a distance materialised the image of a juvenile delinquent sitting in the dirt with hours to throw carelessly away, I was not fooled. His lilac eyes were locked with the ground and he exerted a _pressure_ in waves causing me to qualm my questions.

"Someone I know. That's all," he muttered, eyes becoming glazed with an indescribable emotion; an emotion that only Envy would be able to conceive. I hated the limitations to my form, but that was the way in how I was created. One of the seven. And at the beginning of the world I would dominate over one day, suspense was my closest enemy.

"What is happen-"

"Look," Envy whispered. And at that moment, an explosion launched into the sky over Central and burst across the city. Another followed in ascension, whining against the inexorable pull of gravity, rising above the houses, the military headquarters, the lights, ripping apart amongst the stars. No sound followed until sirens shrieked seconds later, a side effect to the calamity and chaos. But there was not a detonation. There was not a building charred to dust. There was only fire.

Central City seethed in flames.

My eyes glowed as the embers shook fiercely over the landscape in stark comparison its opposite element, the water. Although as the flames returned to settle on the earth, they were unable to hold their grip; the puddles of rain had extinguished the blaze. However from their birth source, along the pathways extending from Central, the lights spread. Envy was observing the spreading of the fire, his teeth gritted and he unclenched his fist, rising to his feet, "If you are ever captured, use the identity card Lust had forged for you. You can never reveal your identity to the enemy."

"What is happening," my tone was stern and sliced with agitation. It was not a question or a request, but an order. The Homunculus rubbed the back of his neck and instead ignored the fires, prowling towards the entrance to the lair, disguised by a boulder, protected unanimously by the staff of Bradley's mansion. His hand rested on its cold stone surface.

"One of the terrorist alchemist groups have had their main focus achieved. This is their victory celebration." Envy had answered but he was unwilling to digress on the topic. However, my curiosity was not sated. And the fires were coming closer, albeit not in wreaths of smoke and destruction, but being carried in torches by protesters marching from the city. They were approaching, but slowly over the gorges of land between the city and the mansion, only a cluster of figures, but they were approaching.

"How far will they go?"

"Far enough. Likely until the outskirts of the city just to prove their point…Damn! Lust must have…something could…They shouldn't know…" Envy sharply turned his head away, muttering into his hair, although this time I could hear snippets of his one-sided conversation. I slipped past his side and stood at the edge of the courtyard which overlooked a grove and the road, which the figures were marching down. Suddenly, cars branded with the crest of Amestris the Fuhrer materialised from the distance, swerving around the figures and halting to a stop directly in front of them, beside the mansion. Military soldiers jumped out of the back of the car and stood with their guns aligned close to their chests and intercepted the pathway. The people continued marching.

A faint tingle rubbed on my skin, moving along my tattoos until my Ouroboros brand itched. Envy's too on his leg was irritating him; he scratched the skin there once. "We need to go back. We are being summoned by our dear Father."

Military soldiers took one step forwards. The figures paused for a second and continued to wave their torches in the air, a banner glowing amid the flames. Already, the military had taken action in the city; the flames had been vanquished, and only smoke remained. The momentary uproar in the city was being halted by the country's official personnel. There were only the marchers now. Another step forwards.

"Pride, we have to go…No, Lust isn't that reckless…could they…" Envy glared at me, standing at the bridge of the world I had always known. His foot tapped against the floor and he scowled, disappearing behind the boulder. I paused for a second waiting for the violence to ensure, but the protesters dropped their torches in reluctant surrender. Their banner fell from their grasp to the floor.

"The Flame Has Been Thwarted!"

My heart pounded as the figures were bound by chains and arrested without a fight, without resistance. And by the morning, all traces on the attack would be forgotten…

* * *

When I returned, Father's children were surrounding him. Gluttony, Lust and Sloth. Greed had not been in contact with Father for over a century and he had recently been captured by Wrath, but he had been detained. I was not permitted to talk with a usurper. Wrath was exempt; he had priorities in maintaining order on the surface. And at our arrival, all of the Homunculi were gathered.

"Pride, this confusion is an unnecessary part of your extraction day. You are exempt from this session, my son." The doors opened, creaking heavily on their hinges without a force being exerted upon them, leading to my quarters. I turned, realizing this was the first time I had seen each of my other siblings, but I had been dismissed. And I had to obey Father, the only commandment with over prioritised my arrogance.

The door rumbled shut behind me. Perhaps I had not been purified entirely, although the curiosity refused to leave my core; I had to listen.

"How could you have been caught, Lust! Father stopped you before you could-" Only Envy could snarl so loudly and remain audible.

"They have been placed in a suitable location. The military or public will not be prying and find them," Lust's tone remained indifferent, as if she knew she had performed her duty flawlessly.

"Can I eat them?"

"That would be a good idea actually, paps."

"No. That would disrupt our intentions significantly. Let me remind you of caution, my son."

"So that means I can't eat them?"

"We've secured the ones responsible for the uprising, and while most have been sent to the state prison, some have been transported to our own sanctuary. Surely, they will suffice, Father?"

"It is unfortunate, but we must keep them detained. They may provide valuable ingredients. There is no use wasting an opportunity to qualm your insatiable appetite, my son."

"What about his partner…the sharpshooter…Hawking."

"Hawkeye, Envy. Wrath has her under close observation as well as any other personnel who are acquaintances with our former alchemists," Lust sighed once.

"You've extracted that menace again, and removed three 'candidates'. I wouldn't call today successful!"

"They were no longer useful to me, Envy. With all seven of my sins extracted, I can progress fully onto the Final Stage. Now leave me. You know of your duties."

Feet clattered on the surface of the ground. I looked at my hand, regaining control of my body, as though I had been paralyzed listening to them, eavesdropping, a lowly trait which was below the Homunculi; it was a human attribute. But I was trembling and I stumbled backward, lost amid the immense chamber network lingering beneath all of Central. The doors were beginning to grate open, and that is how Envy found me. I had ceased to tremble and leaned against the wall, exerting an aura of serene composure.

He raised an eyebrow, but escorted me to my quarters in silence. More apples awaited my arrival and as Envy closed the door, I sank onto the bed, ignoring my surroundings as my eyes closed.

Weariness once again diffused over me. I had died and been born in the same moment, a resonance of two lives shaped together before my core had gained control. There had been a dream, a vivid dream, but as I struggled for an answer, memory had abandoned me.

Those did not matter now.

I had a body with five senses. The world feared my existence but as soon as they learned of my presence, they lost the ability to fear me. I could regenerate and not die. I was closest to my Father. A smile crept across my features. I was Pride.

But there were ordeals I could still not remember, but equally ordeals I could not forget.


	4. Judgement of Memory

Blue Hour

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters. They belong to Hiromu Arakawa and the respective companies, and I do not own Bluebird's Illusion. I am grateful to be able to create Blue Hour from this beautiful concept.

* * *

Happy Summer Solstice for yesterday! With the longest day of the year comes the longest chapter for Blue so far.

I want to say thanks to everyone reading this story, and in particular to those who have followed and added it to their "favourites". Thank you, truly. Something as simple as knowing that you are enjoying Blue by following it makes me want to write even more. I am new to writing on here, and I already feel so welcome.

Sentimentality over. And yes, as the title implies, Pride is properly beginning to get his memories back...I'll leave you for the real story now.

Please enjoy this chapter.

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Chapter 4: Judgement of Memory

Dreams shrouded my mind on my first night. While faint flickers of my previous day danced in a tangent before my slumbering eyes, the rolling pastures vanished, although some instinct warned me that without these, I was incomplete. The process of thought awakened me from deep slumber until I was fully into consciousness. I opened my eyes slowly, the bare white ceiling unfolded into a room which belonged to me. A bed with a mattress I was unaccustomed to, a desk with a chair tucked in front of it, and a bathroom through another door. And the door leading me out to the outside world; this was a luxury in the unforgiving eyes of Father.

My mind was whirling at the exhilaration of landing an attack on Envy and even though he had tried to disguise his emotions, his evident surprise at my strategy made me look at both of my arms in wonder. I flexed them forwards feeling the muscles contract and relax as the dull ache of my tattoos and injuries sustained yesterday having vanished. I would not engage with it, but my catalyst served its purpose. But I would not abide to listen to those souls in torment; they belonged to me and they could not be freed from their despair now. While I physically adjusted to my surroundings, the exhilaration from sparring was replaced with some other emotion, one that I was only too familiar with. Pride would be my constant ally, guiding me and watching me from the shadows.

My hands brushed against the mirror having not yet fully inspected by new form. Golden hair like sun-draped barley and eyes the colour of an even deeper ore of gold looked back at me and crimson swirls embarking the hazards of my creation. I loosely untangled the knots from my golden hair and when it fell past my tattoos, I did not flinch and turned to see how rapidly my scars had settled, menacing brandishes adorned on my skin. But my gaze returned to my eyes. They were not the violet eyes of my siblings, or the bored yellow of Father, but cascaded gold, concentrated powers blinking firmly. These were my unique gift for being his most affluent sin and as soon as my hands fell to my sides, Envy stormed into my domain. He was furious.

"Our good for nothing siblings have messed up. So of course, we are being thrown into the deepest pits of Hell on your first full day of training. A damned military uniform will do. You are a Sergeant under my direct control. Our purpose is to re-establish order after last night, and ensure that Wrath has done his job properly…" Envy dragged me out of the room, rampaging and swearing to his counterpart as red crackles sparked around his body, transforming into an officer with mousy-brown hair, an impeccable uniform flashing with the polished insignia of stripes and stars. He shoved me through corridor after corridor but I grasped his shoulders; I would follow on my own command.

However, I had hitherto not understood how to reach the military headquarters above – Father did not find it necessary to journey there. And so I chased Envy along the deserted antechambers, blurring away any special awareness. Nevertheless I focused on any intriguing figure on a wall, a certain pattern or emblem, which would help me to remember my way. As I was memorising a black mark curved like that of a snake, Envy slammed open an invisible door painted into the wall. Envy barged through it and after a moment of clattering he returned with a blue uniform. "Put this on top, Pride. Do not forget to tie up those boots properly; a Sergeant seeking promotion would not forget a trivial detail." He hurried forward again.

My body expressionlessly was climbing into the marine military uniform, golden insignia blazing on my own shoulders and I rubbed it firmly as my Ouroboros tattoo slid beneath the covers of the clothing. Materials of different stripes and colours dotted the left chest front while pockets and a gun were assorted in my holster, secured within an arm's reach as had become the military norm since Wrath's "ascension" as Fuhrer.

The ascension of one unforgettable day on the battlefield. Amestrian soldiers had been overwhelmed, almost defeated by the oppressive Cretan forces when the leader of the Amestrian army had fallen. Despite the battering of the soldier, tragically planned, the show had to resume. There King Bradley had appeared in his robes of glory, not a trace of bloodshed or sorrow on his pelt; there King Bradley felled many soldiers and in the rush of battle, nobody noticed him slaying his own ally troops as they opposed his unspoken authority. He had slain them down with deft control, although his arms had shaken all the while. Quaking with Wrath.

His leadership immediately followed, but the story had since been popular, disguising the truth that the entire movement had been orchestrated by Father. Now I had the chance to ascertain my worth amongst the Homunculi. Eating would only slow us down, and I refused the Homunculus' offer of nourishment, while I worked the heels of my feet rigidly into the shoes, unaccustomed to the secluded movement these objects granted me. But I was no longer an entire head shorter than Envy, who had shrank with his transformation and as a result, the boots could stay. He shrugged nonchalantly in my direction as I tested my weight with the boots and he ploughed forward, tossing me a hood to cover over the top of my "prominent features". Did every human share the same mundane midnight hair as my sibling? Was Father the only other one with lighter features? That was a thought.

As I heaved the boots passed my ankles, disguising the last of my swirling scars, Envy persisted in calling down the trailing corridors for me to match his pace. But I began to wonder on what humans were like on the surface, only ever observing them from a distance last night, and I had few recollections from Father, who rarely mingled with the lower lifeforms and the souls inside of me could not offer any consolidation. As with the sheer anticipation of defeating my sibling, I would have revelled in defeating these humans, but their antics were so alien to me, I wanted to watch how they had raised Amestris, unknowingly dutiful, for Father. Today I would obey Envy, disguising my golden hair with the cloak that Envy had given me, dusty despite how it had never been worn before.

This pathway was shorter than the trail with last night's ventures and far more earnest too. Envy's brisk stride was unlike the slobbery tottering of his leaving Father's lair and I too adopted the quick pace, although it already seemed natural to me. Another instinct…that I was constantly on the move awaiting danger beyond every trial and obstacle. I shook my head, realizing the gap between Envy and I was growing larger and I diverted my focus into ensuring every strand of hair was not visible to the prying eyes of the military. Light filtered from above as we rose into the depths of Central Command, an active and daunting place when I had never been in large crowds before. We had arrived.

My first impression of the military headquarters was disarray and pandemonium. Soldiers brimmed across the hallway, papers flying and being caught, voices traversing across the compact space; it was the opposite to the sense of structure of the platoon of soldiers I had witnessed after sparring with Envy. Sunlight glared through the glass windows as the soldiers obliviously passed the silent courtyard, which was smaller and shaped with less care than the one located on the property of the mansion. There was no significant commotion as Envy blended and weaved amongst the crowd, the light refracting into my eyes and temporarily blinding me. The first drops of liquid starlight flowed through my blood; it was warm…Just like…that day…

 _A field. The sunlight only tepid despite the infinite summer day, graceful upon the pastures below. Rural and tranquil, the sun painting the landscape while in the city, it was never the same._

I squinted in the harsh light. At Central Command the celestial power was an odd force of mature, hideously deformed by the artificial panels of glass hosting the ecosystem of Central – humans and more humans. Suddenly realizing how mismatched I was in this place with the heritage of the Homunculus, one of the seven, while thousands or millions of humans populated the surface, overwhelming the peace.

Father would claim their lives unknowingly as alchemists were lured into his trap willingly by the fables of the Philosopher's Stone. Foolish creatures.

"Stick to my side. We have to get to his office which is past the foreign relations sector…where she could be lurking. Do not make eye contact with anyone," Envy hissed between clenched teeth, glazed much like the false comfort of sunlight, disguising what existed beneath. Firmly pulling my hood over my head, we turned as the door behind us mysteriously vanished into the wall. However, questions were not at the forefront of my mind as I pursued Envy through the thicket of people, small and crushable like a bug. Remain inconspicuous. Do not abide by Pride for this moment. Obey and follow. I loathed my body for following so willingly like a dog that these soldiers were. They chattered amongst themselves; they noticed the cloak, but they saw my uniform too, and mistaking me for a fellow soldier, being too low of rank to be of any resemblance to them, I was ignored.

As the world passed through the blur of people, I reached Envy's side, and his pace quickened with a motivation which was unanimous amongst some of the soldiers too, young soldiers seeking promotion, the dream of an officer's insignia on their uniform being their lifelong ambitions. We had clothing for every officer rank abandoned in our "wardrobe".

Similar to the monotonous pattern below the earth, the military campus had an unfathomable network. Envy strode with the confidence from over forty years of experience; left, right, another right, straight ahead. Officers and outlaws could have passed through Envy as though he were a ghost; he was intent on reaching his destination. His usual demeanour of noticing every sound and sight was temporarily lost. However, my hearing honed and sharpened, articulating indecipherable murmur into pieces of conversation. I understood their accents and colloquial language which rang with all of the emotion and sin a human possessed, giving unique character to their tones. And then I started to listen as the voices brushed past my ears.

"Did you notice how uptight she is?"

"Trying to give us orders! She isn't the commanding officer of her department either."

"Probably missing her little Flame."

"She does stick to his heels, George. The whole of Central is stirring. Did you see those fires last night? What were they?"

"Oh, didn't you hear? Some Xingese pyromaniac released a couple of sparks. Took a whole squadron of soldiers to secure him."

"That's perfectly plausible with our military today. It's as if the Fuhrer is allowing this to occur. He is never usually this lax with these terrorists."

"Or in the military for that matter. Hawkeye is stung by grief since he went missing. He is suffering without the war action, of course. Ignite a few forest fires and promotion, that's how easy it is for him. Looking to appeal in the eyes of Fuhrer Bradley. And yet the Fuhrer has done nothing to sanction her yet."

"We are all chained to the bloody state so we can feed our families. Horror is a firm companion to the life she chose."

Confusion swirled in my mind. So much information. But I should have known about the modern affairs of Central. I refused to linger on my weakness of knowledge and instead walked faster to comprehend the minute details I had heard from the two soldiers. There was a female officer who had experienced a loss, one that inflicted more damage upon her than the other losses she had suffered with. The loss was the "Flame", an important and powerful officer. Although, what heightened my attention was that Wrath had thus far done nothing. And as I pieced the fragments together, the office of the Fuhrer towered over me.

"Here we are. Wrath will watch you for the time being," Envy smirked and patted a hand on my shoulder, and I felt oppressed by his hulking mass. The brass holder on the door was thrummed heavily by the Homunculus, impatient to carry out his mission by Father, and he had already turned around to depart before the door had even been answered. "Good thing Lust had to leave this morning, foolish leaving her specimens unaccounted for. Now I can gain back my favour over Father since only I possess the Ultimate Form…" jealousy wrought his tone which melded into hate, radiating and sardonic hate. "I can teach those meddling brutes what it means to defy a Homunculus…"

Thoughts of Wrath and fireworks lighted my vision as I entered the office without requiring knocking on the handle again. I only had to obey Envy and that was through the wish of Father. he may have been the leader of the state, but no alchemist or creator of the Homunculi. However, as I stepped into the office through a side door, it slammed closed. The air was trembling. Fathoms yawned between the desk and I, the map of Amestris painted red at points of bloodshed. Despite the décor of mahogany and the finest china positioned on the side tables, death reeked in every crevice. This was the place where the lives of thousands were decided with the press of the Presidential seal. And I could feel the power the presence was emanating, catching me like a nightmare pouncing on some dreamer's tale. But this man was not woven from fable.

The Fuhrer had the similar human appearance despite the sunlight casting long shadows on his frame. Eye patches may have disguised his legacy as a Homunculus, but in this world it heralded significance; the final detail his fallen enemies saw was the dance of a sword and the ever-present eyepatch. Nobody lived crossing blades with the King. He was not only my sibling, but a force never meant to be squashed, the entire intent of Father selecting Bradley to become a portion of his soul. Nevertheless, he was still my equal, and I did not bow down to any other. Refusing the shrink back, I allowed myself to be drowned in the destructive glint of his office. My name was Pride, serving none other than Father.

"I am glad to see that your extraction was a success, Pride. You have an apt disguise, although I am expecting due company, so you will have to conceal yourself…" his tone was ice despite the repose stiffening his jaw.

"I do not…don't see any reason to move, Wrath," announced my tart response. Above the shadow world, beyond the boundary of the bridge… I had power. However in the instant that the tapping on the side door sounded, I froze on my feet, rigid in my place. In the corner of my eye I saw the door pressing slightly under the pressure of being knocked upon again. My reflexes snapped back into focus, and with gritted disgust I pulled the hood over my face. The opposite door was open and despite how my body protested in moving, cowering away from a human, I tolerated the circumstance. I had not become a renegade. Before I slid the hinges shut, Wrath nodded in my direction and assumed his pillar-like stature of honour as the office adopted a welcoming front. I leaned forward on the wooden frame, careful not to strain all of my weight on the entry point and allowed a gap in the door for me to peer through.

Although it was the initial silence which had birthed my wariness, as sound flooded into the room, I would not relax my guard. Perhaps it was the urgency of the tapping on the door, or the secret anxiety being harboured in the military corridors which even I could not be oblivious to. The wait was over.

"Enter, Madeleine." Wrath's tone was formal, courteous, removing any animosity his true nature revelled in.

A stout woman in her mid-thirties entered the office, wearing the uniform representing her as the personal aide to King Bradley. From the way that the tea cup and saucer she was precariously holding in her hands resting on top of a pile of documents made me realize how afraid she was of him. If I was not a Homunculus, I could have understood her fear.

"I was not sure how you wanted your tea this morning, Your Excellency. I can make it stronger if it is not to your liking," she quivered, although the way her eyes fleeted from the side tables, the desk, and the side door and back to the side tables again in an endless circular motion was as if she was trying to pinpoint something. Could she have found…? Envy had left me alone with Wrath; the two Homunculi were not foolish enough to allow a human to eavesdrop on them. And then my mind drifted back to last night, of the meeting with Father and the senior Homunculi. I held no trace of uncertainty: Father knew I had listened, but the results were to my own consequence.

"Please take a sit, Madeleine. There are a few matters we have to attend to," Wrath motioned with a free hand for his aide to sit with her back to me. He began to sip at his beverage indifferently.

"Your Excellency, these documents…they demand your urgent attention…"

"Do not worry, Madeleine. They shall be seen to."

"These documents are urgent-"

"These documents," a sea-green eye opened. "Or do you mean blueprints?" In the blink of an eye he was before the door, a neutral expression drawn across his face as he reached for his sword in the flash of silence. A wicked grin of malice swept across his face like a chess player having finally succeeded in checkmate. However, the pawn was in checkmate. Not the King. He slipped his sword back into his sheath and assumed his gentleman complexion, while my pulse quicken for a second at the tension literally stifling the air. I swallowed back the motor responses of this human body, staring blankly at the ceiling as Wrath continued.

"Tell me the names. You can then leave and return to your desk. Everything here shall be forgotten."

"Your Excellency! I have no idea what you are referring to. These documents are the amendments to the fires caused by that Xingese terrorist last night…the police and reinforcements need the orders, Sir…"

"Does the name 'Mustang' have any clarity to you, Madeleine?" My catalyst jolted in a momentary frenzy. Wrath pondered on the question, and I could hear his belt shuffle, where the sword was poised in its sheath.

"Oh, 'The Hero of Ishval', Your Excellency? Mustang has recently been promoted…Has he not been missing in action for the past few days?" Her tone was genuine; she was as innocent as a child accused as being guilty for sweets she did not steal, when a sibling had been the perpetrator. But the aide was alone in the office with the most powerful man of Amestris. Wrath sensed her fear and nodded his head in the affirmative. He leaned forward, falsely giving the impression of being hunched over, a senile old-man who was susceptible to bouts of random amnesia. That was explanation enough for Madeleine the aide.

"Very true, Madeleine," he took the documents from her lap and ushered her towards the door. "You are dismissed. Please send General Raven into my office in half-an-hour. First, I must enjoy this wonderful brew that you have produced." Here was the leader of Amestris, one of the prophesied Seven, and here he was worrying about the strength of his tea.

As the King wandered to the window, sipping his tea, Envy stormed into the office. "We did it, Wrath. There's nothing, no trace of information! I have separated all of him team members to all four corners of Amestris! Hawkeye is still a problem though…"

Wrath smiled, his single eye shining. "I think I have a position to offer her. I am in need of a new personal aide."

I was about to step out of the annexed room when I made eye contact with him. It was a paternal stare out of his ability to rule over the military. This was nothing to me…but everything too.

 _The way in how he looked like a father, mimicking the pictures in my dreams of a father who would never hold me, who never smiled. This man had abandoned us, and he was a bastard…_

Flash. _Golden sunlight. A field with dancing daisies leading up to a house on a hill. Sunset. Black. Pain._

* * *

"What the hell do you think you are doing, you pipsqueak?" the voice rasped in my ear.

"Envy?" I was facing towards the ceiling on the crimson carpet in the Fuhrer of Amestris, King Bradley's office. He was oblivious to the commotion just metres away from him. I watched as he unscrewed the cap from his pen on his desk, and set about on the mounds of paperwork surpassing the density of a mountain. And Envy, in his usual, ratty form, had begun to shake my front. My head lolled before I shook him off, my eyes narrowing.

I grabbed his wrist.

"Get off me. Get off me you bastard!"

I wrenched the wrist backwards causing his eyes to widen in shock. He bit his tongue to stop a howl escaping his lips.

"How dare you touch me…you…bastard…"

The last thing I remembered was the crackling of crimson alchemy and a father with glasses shutting the door to the house on the hill forever. I was alone.

* * *

I had been abandoned. But I was a Homunculus, devoid of these petty qualms. Why did I hate that man, the father? He had walked out of our lives forever. The fragments of memory were beginning to piece together, knitting the fractured story of the life I had lived before.

A sword flashed in front of me, diverting my attention from that self-centred man who was my "father". That I was certain on. The sword flashed again, and returned to its scabbard while Wrath stood solemnly with his hands held behind his back. Next to him, with only a grinning mouth jutting out of the shadow was one ravenous sibling. Lust the Lascivious was positioned on the right-hand side of Father's dais which I had to raise my neck upwards to look up to. Vehement anger filled my body; I would not be mocked. Not by the bastard or by them!

I was chained to the same slab I had been extracted on. My body tugged and writhed at the binding chains refusing to be tamed. But the Homunculi ignored me. I had been brought back to the place of my birth, chained to the centre of a network of pipes that scoured the entire of Central City. Pale moonlight…moonlight?...shafted through a crack in the ceiling, casting metallic hues against the pipes, thrown with the splash of violet eyes and sheen of swords from where the deadly sins were gathered together. The throne too had obtained that haunting spectral quality, the walls never-ending, and an infinite circle. Even the antechambers were clouded with dark; the incandescent lights shining like fireflies had been stabbed mercilessly away. I was born from the shadows – they would not frighten me. I continued to struggle. Why the hell was I here?

And I saw that pale face, the sneering contempt yet emotionless complexion with weary golden eyes half closed. My Father…my creator…scorned at me. My hands began to tremble against the shackles, attempting to loose free. Why the hell couldn't I get out of here?

Envy placed a hand with paramount force on my hands, and they instantly stopped resisting. My head turned to the left, but he stared at the floor, lilac eyes sunken, ratty hair a tumble down his back. The jealous one was disappointed in me.

I refused to feel this humility, this damn pity. It was an insult. I lashed out against the chains. He continued to stare motionless at the ground, mouthing deformed words like a bitter soliloquy, painless and painful. His nails dug in firmly at my hand so I stopped struggling for a moment. His words were directed me, hovering in the stillness. "What you remember. Tell. Then you are Pride. One. He's judging. Spill them all. Every memory."

He then slinked away from me like an alley-cat. Father didn't even lift a finger as the chains moaned while being pulled tighter. I was being lifted like a martyr willing to make a sacrifice, legs flailing uselessly below me before I pressed me feet against the slab. If I fell, I would easily regenerate – even now the souls were coursing through my body. And then I would track those foolish two, whoever they were, who had followed me into the tunnels, when I had said that I would Do It Alone.

Having ascended high enough to make eye contact with Father, challenging the centralised swarm of souls he had remaining. I gripped at the chains in a vain attempt to free myself, clinging onto my Pride as I cruelly, bitterly, ironically, was holding on to my life.

"My son. Your sibling noted that you used profane language in his presence. I do not want you to use their colloquialisms despite their own mannerisms. How did this come about, my Pride?" his voice did not echo, but lingered in that humid pressure, as if the world itself was awaiting my obedient reply. But I was beginning to remember and forget and remember and damn forget! I clenched my fists. There was betrayal in which every family member had paid dearly for that one conceited choice. A betrayal I could not remember…

Did it matter? I was Pride.

"I fear it was too soon for him to leave the chamber, Father. The military would not cease talking and he has adopted their customs, including their language." Wrath had defended me. I hated the unconscious feeling of being in his debt. I was silent.

"Nevertheless, you shall have to be cleansed, Pride. Until you have completed your training with Envy, we cannot allow you to…share our secrets by coincidence." An unyielding blankness filled my vision. As I looked at Father, his outline became misted, and I could no longer distinguish the yellow eyes from the yellow hair. The desire to obey was stronger, stronger than my insubordination and the desire to regain my memories. I was sub-consciously surrendering to Father.

"Cleansed?"

"Do not fear it, my son. Let me ask again, how did this resilience come about?"

"Memories."

"What memories?"

Chains sounded from above, inching from the vaulting chasms to swing metres from my head. I would not look up, because I knew. The liquid. The pain. Purification.

"I do not know."

"Do you have any memories?"

"No more since my birth, Father."

"Explain it to me."

I did not have a second to explain before my body came into contact with the lava-like substance. After that, I could remember nothing of my purification similar to the vagueness of the memories surrounding my birth. With a flash the darkness had sweltered into that summertime sun. Dancing daises bloomed on the windswept moor while below mountain streams and fields full of gold with sheep like snow grazing, lambs hopping at their side.

I was not there. Only a ghost that lingered on the chains of memory. My eyes glimpsed to a fence separating the fields from the village path. Hanging on to its railings was a blonde-haired girl crying, her boots abandoned in the mud below her feet. The golden-haired boy with shortly cropped hair murmured words to her, wondering where his elder brother had run off to.

Suddenly, every sensation was real to me. I was buffeted by the country air, wind sweeping against my hair, overcome by the aroma of grass and dew. Sparkling crystals cast me reflection in a pool, a mirage of golden haze.

And I turned around. Beyond the daisies, there was a golden field. _My_ field of barley. The black-haired silhouette stood amid the blowing grass, his shadow staining the barley a velvet ochre. As I blinked, his form vanished in a vortex of pain. The black was consuming me.

Here I was on the precipice of Memory, a Gate between reality and fantasy.

"Lower him down and bring him to me."

I searched for a detail. Any detail that would unlock the key to that Gate. My name. The Gate opened by a crack. It was enough. I was an alchemist, a brother! My name was Ed-.

Too late. I was…

"Pride. Well done, Pride, my son."

That whisper brought me back to the lair. Tears slid down my cheeks as the last memory I had regained was forgotten. Lost amid the dappled pastures of Resembool.


	5. Simulacrum

Blue Hour

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters. They belong to Hiromu Arakawa and the respective companies, and I do not own Bluebird's Illusion. I am grateful to be able to create Blue Hour from this beautiful concept.

* * *

Simulacrum - the smaller, and less significant, representation of something else, masking the entire truth of the whole, and so only the incomplete substitute remains

* * *

Chapter 5: Simulacrum

Time looped on as a pendulum wrapped its victim into hypnosis with its constant swinging motion. Left and right. Experience and dream. Life and death. There was no purpose in escaping the cycle – I had had no commands from Father. I kept my eyes closed in the bed where I curled up, only opening my eyes to stare at the wall. Sometimes even the dreams could not grant me the freedom I had wanted once. But that was all forgotten now.

Three days had passed in this manner. My hair had been left untamed and matted; my eyes had become frosty and dilute, reluctant to the company of others, and my body consisted of skin and bone. I could no longer spar without the remains of my muscles trembling. Despite not leaving my room since my purification, despite the pain of nothingness chasing me relentlessly in my waking hours, I still fought on, because I was alive.

I refused to eat the food that Envy brought me and when the first trembling in my gut crackled a violent red to provide my body with the much needed energy to survive, the first emotion of alarm made me quiver for a moment. Envy had scowled and described it as an abuse of my Stone. It was as though I was trying to purge not only my body, but also my mind, of the nothingness; when I activated the catalyst, I was forced to feel _something._

Those were on the first three days before my namesake surfaced. Pride would not be defeated in such a meagre way. But I knew that the time before my purification had occurred and every experience was melded into one like a timeline thrown into chaos. Father had extracted, purified and purged me, although my spirit had begun to fight back.

In the one dream not plagued with uncertainty, a pair of eyes stared at me. They had no distinct feature; every time I awoke I no longer remembered the colour or depth of them. Emotion can even override memory though, as the eyes were scrutinising me, predicting my every movement. My last action would never be to surrender to them. I was alive…wasn't that a purpose enough to fight?

"Pride, get that clumsy ass of yours out of bed!" the frames at the end of the bed immediately protested. I opened one indifferent golden eye to look at Envy, impatient at having to wait for his sibling. However, my eye closed again as I tried to slip back into the harmonic rhythm of sleep. Dreaming and sleeping until the ticking of the clock stirred me back into reality. That was on the exterior, but inside, there were even harder foes to defeat.

The Philosopher's Stone and a history of recognition in latter... a whole sequence of events which I only knew the last days of when years of knowledge had been vaulted away in that crystal ball, and even if it smashed, there would be little possibility of retaining every sequence in the timeline. Father's purification alchemy was unbreakable, but with focusing my thoughts on regaining one memory, the glass of the fortune tellers' weapon could become malleable. But every second I grasped for the meditative composure of picturing any moment, my mind would writhe in pain. Defying memory was defying my purification, and incandescently defying Father. The blankness would return like a vegetative state settling over my body and I would watch the clock swing like a pendulum. Left and right.

My purpose to fight was eradicated again.

The Stone remained to me. A core of thousands of souls crying out for a body, when my own was being abused, and they were depleted of energy from withstanding my hunger strike. Moments in that internal cavern were flickering through moments of Hell, for the longer I lingered, the more futile it became to abate their temptation of allowing my body to be taken over by a host of souls. All of the struggling would end. I could neither forget about them nor channel my wishes through them as Envy had done – he had become a megalomaniac, thirsting for more than the surplus supply which had aided him through Ishval.

The ghoulish concept of mass-murdering these souls were inadmissible. My ever-persisting Pride would never degrade to such low morals. Those eyes would not sanction surrender either. There was a time when dreams were vivid, lifelike, almost as though they were a memory. Now they were black or a dull grey; the rain even refused to fall and beckon solace. Towards the end at the last hurdle before awareness, the eyes always appeared without failure in the dream realm and filled me with the perseverance to temper with my catalyst. Ever so slowly, the times when I succeeded in consolidating my dominance amid the tempest of souls became less unbearable.

My own source of power was my weakness. But not for long.

"Pride, Father has decided that you have been moping around enough. You are being sent to the surface." An eye opened again and Envy grinned at the reaction he had wanted. I was forbidden to go to the surface, not since…

I could not speak, although I struggled to my feet, breathing becoming constricted as my grizzled outline of a ribcage continued to grant breath beneath my mottled skin. My appearance was sickly and on cue, a wave of nausea rushed through me as though my body was justifying the morbid condition it had deteriorated to. I swallowed the bile away and found the disjointed pattern of my breathing. And I stood up fluidly without trembling. "Don't insult me." My eyes were fire. My tone was ice.

"My little Pride has lost his voice! You had better find it before the storm strikes, Pride, because then there will be no escape for you…And Father has commanded this to be your mission. Your first official mission. Would you stand for him to be disappointed in his dear, little son?" Envy fiddled with his nails and maroon eyes were lost as he turned his back to me. His last words fell into an ushering silence interrupted by the ticking of a clock. Envy's hand twitched and lurched outwards. "Damn it shut the hell up!" Three seconds had barely passed, although I did not flinch as splinters of wood scarred across my face. I lifted a finger, wiping the blood away as the Red Stone worked its magic.

"Don't insult me, Envy," I smiled and nodded my head. He had brought me all of my meals, and even though it was a mandatory assignment for the prisoners, Envy would not allow his sibling to lose faith in being a Homunculus. Nevertheless, anger was forged within me alongside the bitter resentment I harboured at being lower than the other Homunculi. Deep inside of me resided a resilience that none of my siblings could equal though.

Apples had become a favourite. While Envy dumped a pile of unused clothes on my desk, I paused in the bathroom and splashed my face with water between bites. Nothing could match the rain, although the sparkling sensation of water pouring onto my arms reminded me of rain bullets from…before. Hopefully there would be a storm on the surface. The dull rings below my eyes and gaunt lines edging my jaw were smudged away like a mistake, and it was my choice to amend all that had been done. I had to fight, and any condition was better than the three days after my purification, when I had had the ability to feel _nothing._

After I had climbed into the clothes, I reentered the room, disgusted over the flat soles of the shoes. I would go bare foot or in boots with elevation. However, these I could tolerate for in the recesses of the bag there was an object that I pulled out and instantly threw back into the bag. A wig. A brown-haired wig.

"You could have you hair cut short."

"No."

"You have to wear the disguise, I'm afraid. Father has set some guidelines for your appearance."

"No, and you shall not change my mind." I stormed out of the room, keeping a firm eye on my hair in the circumstance that Envy's hand materialised into a blade when I had my back unguarded, throwing the core of my apple in the Homunculus' direction.

We emerged from an exit in the centre of a decommissioned building site and train depot. It was early morning in Central with a promised outlook for a cloudless sky all day, although the number of people arriving into Central was increasing as rapidly as the temperature was soaring. Cars clattered and dashed along the streets while exhaling smoke, causing children skipping along the sidewalk to pause, cough once, and continue along their ways. Trees sighed slightly overlooking the river gurgling softly in the central avenue leading into the heart of the city.

Business and commerce lined along the streets along one side, cars fleeting by on the other. Radios announced the predicted heatwave, vendors desperately selling their wayward merchandise, commuters gulping down their caffeine. I took the path along the river's side so only a barrier was all that kept us apart with the blissful shade from the trees restricted for all pedestrians. There was no evidence to the darkness which thrived below the bustling streets of Central.

Meanwhile the cars in direct line of the Sun were beginning to sweat, and even I was immersed in the heat as the dappling trees were left behind. There was a left turn, traversing closer to the Central Command.

My first notion was to pause in my astonishment. The streets rolled endlessly into the horizon, melding into the blue of the sky. Neat rows of city apartments lined the first half of this street followed by the disarray of commercial welfare. Yet, at the end of the street was the military headquarters, positioned at the heart of the nation displaying the same rigidness as its leader. Above the flag quivered in the light breeze which aided little in removing the sweltering heat; it delicately fluttered in the sky with the fragility of a lost butterfly.

Envy was grumbling non-existent words to himself but even though I was unaccustomed to the atmosphere of Central, it soon became the air I breathed. I heard the child echoing laughter, the glee and triumph of winning a race through the bustling market stalls; I looked at the closed curtains, the habitat of the slumbering city dweller unfolding the curtains experimentally before slipping back into bed; I smelt the waft of milk of the father strolling to work after forgetting to wipe a stain from his blazer, a whistle of a child's lullaby escaping his lips. It was livening and warming…the numbness inside was not vanishing, but I could distract myself and it whisked away with each step. Each person carried out their own lives without understanding how they contributed to the greater purpose of the city; they made the ambiance live, an unconscious purpose that they did not know even existed. Only an outsider could uncover this one simple truth. A smaller part allowing the One to exist. That was a copacetic motto.

But my gaze again returned to the apartments I was walking past, the windows positioned to peer into the river. My eyes scanned along the line of windows, although every glass panel was the same, unoccupied excluding the reflection of sunlight caused by its sheen of silver…all except one on the middle floor. Suddenly, a little girl deftly moved the curtain aside to inspect her surroundings and her thorough examination caused my golden hair to come into her view. I paused directly below her window and stared upwards perplexed, clear enough to see her features come into focus.

Her brows creased, green eyes alert and her lips pursed together, studying me with that studious complexion as her features relaxed. The two pompoms clasped to her hair dangled from side to side as she frantically waved her arms about in my direction. However, her movements were uncoordinated so her entire body bobbed up and down as she waved her right arm with a furious energy. Her features became obscured by the mist she was creating on the window's surface as she tried to call out but she wiped them away, beaming a full-front smile. As my right arm lifted in greeting in return – the city having overridden my senses – she paused for a moment, and her hand began to lift upwards above her head. They fumbled at the top of the window, unlocking the glass, separating the boundary from my world and hers.

"You should be wearing your white gloves!" I brought my hands to my face, listening to her every word in amazement. How could she…my tattoos? Except that they were covered beneath the sleeves, entwined in such a way that a passer-by would never notice them. "Daddy said they protected you from the baddies. D'you remember when you came over? Don't forget, 'cause Daddy was right about everything!"

"Elicia Hughes!"

From the way her head snapped up instantly informed me that the feminine voice belonged to her mother. But she shrugged her shoulders, obviously believing I was the most interesting to talk with.

"Come and see me really soon ok…Edwin! It's been a long, long time."

"Elicia!"

She waved frantically one last time and the curtain ruffled from where she brushed past it to receive a scolding from her mother. The window remained strewn open.

Envy was over a hundred paces ahead of me, scowling at the Sun and the crowds. The apartments fleeted by as I quickened my pace, eyes fixed on the pavement, remembering Elicia, the little girl with the pompoms.

The slower tide of young families in the apartments catalysed into a storm of people; the entire population of Amestris was secluded to half of a street. My head turned this way to see a businessman choosing roses for his fiancée, a ring glittering on his left finger. Around in another direction, a military police dog abruptly paused and pined, releasing a little howl to which his infuriated master scolded, meekly pressing his body down onto the street in subordination.

Colours of grey and black and brown suits hurried by, the waft of fragrance and perfume lingering in the stifling humidity. Shoes clicked against the pavement like a bell half ringing, patent leather splashed with every shade of cream. Cars were audible even in the back alleys; screeching tyres frightened an alley-cat, fleeing to its den to feast upon its butcher's prey. Even the faint metallic gleam of automail shone through the sleeve on the left arm of a woman proud of its craftsmanship. The wind sang through the trees becoming sparser the closer we came to headquarters, rejuvenating the aura of the city with Nature's solitary melody.

In my intoxication through the activities of Central's usual morning routine, my reticence was shattered as the military of Amestris progressed by. Time slowed and despite the cries of vendors enticing in their latest customer, the stillness was daunting as they passed, a sea of ultra-marine, with the different insignias emblazoned upon their shoulders, acting as the strength to the people. Those people muttered to their peers, avoiding the steadfast march of the military. Despite their being the governing force of Amestris, defending it from annexation of surrounding borders or rotting in the desert, democracy was the ammunition strapped to their backs.

Their sea of blue uniform gained layer as the breeze rippled their blazers like tidal waves with each stride they took forward, disguising the invisible chains binding them to the State. There was no strength deeper than protecting each other's back to stay alive, with war being the only purpose which fully united personnel and public, forged with the basic human instinct to fight to keep surviving.

But as soon as they were out of my line of eyesight, the mundane yet vigorous activity of the city spurned to life again. Envy was nowhere in my peripheral vision either. I was attracted back to the awed retinue of the regiment reporting back to Central Command, the streets widening and forming a military plaza at the centre of Amestris. There the majestic entrance rose, existing on its own skyline in an endless ascension to the stars, the world that my Father was at the heart at, yet laid veiled in a wreath of mystery to me.

Humans could not touch the sky, although with the limited power they possessed, they attempted to rule the heavens. I do not know if it was the beating heart of Amestris resonating from the heart of the city, but I had been captivated. Envy had lost me the instant my eyes had met the blue.

Gates. Iron gates defending a back entrance. They connected the inside to the outside, and the corroded features stirred understanding within me. I was connected to the military beyond my commandments as a Homunculus. My thoughts fleeted to my mission and my eyes strained to account every detail they could see, unwilling to forget about any of it. Chains bound the gates; on a lifeless day, clouds hanging limp with rain, vibrating melodies would sound from the metal while today they shone stark within that bright sky. The sunlight radiated upon the metal, so the iron creaked.

I turned in every direction so I could capture every detail of this moment. Until…

It saw me first before I did. Its outline was mismatched against the blue sky, although its feathers were a deeper hue of blue, as though the sky was only a transparent layer of reality. A bluebird, perching on the gates, flew to my feet. I dropped to the ground silent, unafraid of the scrutiny, and held out my hands to guide him in my direction. He cocked his head, black orbs curious and hopped once towards my outreached hands before spiralling away into the sky, a blue spiral lost from me.

He was like me, a smaller scope compared to the might of the world.

I was but a shadow on the surface compared to the mass of energy that subsided within, memories chained against my will, unable to soar unlike that bluebird. Despite the souls pervading to collide within, I was isolated. Never could I open that Gate. Too much was locked away from me, leaving a segment of what I once was. I had become the simulacrum to my past.

My head collapsed in my hands. I had lost the bluebird. But as the middle of the day approached, Envy would not allow me to sulk over an apparition. His presence had been nearing me, although until he dragged me to my feet in the most mutual way he allowed, my loss faded, but this time, it would not be forgotten. I had honour to fight for now, and an entire past and future locked in a crystal ball to destroy.

"Look where we are, Pride. This place is off-limits for now." Typical sibling's egotism over dominance. "Come on, we have work to do, little brother."

And it sounded wrong, so wrong. I glared at Envy, but I did not know why. I was Pride, a portion of his soul, and Father's purification alchemy had never failed before.


	6. Serried

Blue Hour

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters. They belong to Hiromu Arakawa and the respective companies, and I do not own Bluebird's Illusion. I am grateful to be able to create Blue Hour from this beautiful concept.

* * *

This chapter is so chaotic, but unfortunately, that's what the plot demanded. It just about makes sense... Blue, why did it have to be this way...With that, I need to lie down in a dark room.

Enough from me, please enjoy this chapter and follow the storm!

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Chapter 6: Serried

I never expected that Envy wanted to recruit potential alchemists. Father was missing a pawn from his battlefield.

Although I scowled when Envy tried to hand me a mop and bucket from the bulbous bag he was dragging beside him. In order to remain inconspicuous and enter the Central State Prison as a member of staff, I had to be a cleaner. However, as we arrived at the prison, these trivial concerns escaped my mind.

There next to the convict's entrance were the rubbles of the Fifth Laboratory. In truth, there was an entrance from outside of the lair leading up to the collapsed frames of the building. Envy couldn't encourage rumours of ghosts randomly appearing from below the earth. As a result, we had taken a detour of the city; I would not have missed the rush of activity if I knew what I would experience.

Despite my superiority as a Homunculus, knowing I could not be killed, an ominous presence loomed over the prison. It unnerved me. Bars substituted windows; weeds replaced flowers, as though this place had been devoid of the warmth of the city for many years. Prison guards yawned at their sentry posts swigging down a flask of whiskey to pass the long hours; the inmates were not to be feared, but the persisting boredom from the lack of activity here.

However, at one window, on the middle floor in the central collection of holes gaping out to the world, in a similar position to Elicia's home back at the apartments, the source of the discontent and eeriness about the building stared back at me. Grey-black eyes widened as if in maniac hysteria, and a shadowy outline cropped closer to the gap, the bars distorting his image. It was as though he was looking through me, penetrating the secrets I held at my core.

Too late. The vortex was dragging me into the swirling mass of crimson and I ceased to struggle; the indefinite buzz commenced in ringing, a crescendo of noise until the torrent of voices cried out.

"Hold on, son! Daddy will protect you…"

"Where is my baby – where is she?"

"Anyone help us…please, but first, I need a body…"

Every plea ended with that: I need a body. The story of the souls varied significantly, but their cries pierced through my core strongly, united by their common purpose, a simple desire for living flesh. But their bodies had decomposed similar to the rubble of the Fifth Laboratory. I wanted to diffuse into their wants and feel no pain. Nothing would be lost, and nothing would be gained.

Until I had found a way to fight the unrelenting torrents of anguish.

If these souls roamed freely, they had the capability to destroy my mind, and so I subconsciously restrained them, limiting the control they possessed over me. What if I could make this control conscious and therefore permanent too? Alchemy. The principal obeying the laws of Equivalent Exchange, the equality of sacrifice to gain, the balance of deconstruction with reconstruction. I was a being extracted through alchemy, and so I could apply its theories to my own core.

Forgetting about those souls was impossible, and I couldn't ever create a solid barrier from my mind. They reminded me of my origins, of my source of Pride and gratifications I owed to Father. But a translucent layer neither eradicated the souls from my subconscious nor caused the thin fabric of sanity to tear with each second I passed in this void. I could bind the souls with the growing strength of my mind now the exhaustion of my purification was a week behind me; their cries were pleading, but no longer deafening.

I was gradually succeeding, but just as I was beginning to refocus my thoughts on reality, I heard the fragments of another voice. Perhaps it had always been there, waiting for the time I responded to its call. "…never…indubitable…" the tone was lacked the clarity of the other souls in my Philosopher's Stone, as though parts of these souls were sharing their memories with me. I became conscious of my body starting to twitch, and despite my attempts to breathe and enter that calm meditation again, I was being pulled away. The first time I was being pulled away against my will.

Those eyes flickered into my vision, as though they had known I would enter this semi-conscious state for a second. And then amid the red and black, a silhouette formed, his voice frozen in my mind as I resurfaced into consciousness. They were not some dream, but real. I knew they were real.

"Becoming more used to it, Pride," Envy had switched forms again, and surprisingly, it was to his military persona. His voice was strained; thinking about dabbling into his core if not to regenerate his body through alchemy was an ultimatum leading to madness. He was jealous over my command of the Philosopher's Stone, a malicious splint blended into his tone.

"I will not have my hair cut. I will not be a cleaner." He laughed to that and waved a hand to me as he waltzed to the front entrance, delicate for the enormous mass that swelled inside of him. I gazed at the blue sky drowned by the animosity interjected by the prison walls.

"This is your first mission, Pride. Father believes you have ability…to sense alchemic talent…. Some valuable assets were lost to us, and they need replacing."

"Is this my talent then?" I couldn't comprehend how my core had reacted to that figure in the window; had Envy not felt that resonance? There was a force in the earth, binding the faintest traces of talent to the tectonic energy which enhanced an alchemist's powers, despite how weak that form existed to be. Every alchemist had the ability to rematerialize matter, although the extent of their skill was dependent on how well they understood that flow, how they understood its reaction with the world. It was almost like understanding God.

That understanding came as second nature to me, an instinct that I had been born with.

"Yeah." He was feigning, but not lying; Envy was disguising the whole truth. I shrugged my shoulders, and focused on that flow, the power originating from the centre of the Earth, but blocked by Father's lair. No doubt, as he was a creator of wielding such a science. Perhaps I had always felt this connection and only thought about it for the first time now. That was a reason why I could control my Philosopher's Stone – it was the unconscious manipulation of that flow.

Instead of slipping into my meditative state by focusing in on my core, I reversed the process to outside of my body. As an immediate response, three flares arose to my cognitive transmission. Two I had to search for, while the third, I had detected already. I knew he possessed true ability while being an alchemist was a rare gift. I had not responded to any person's aura while in the parading streets of Central.

We were about to push through the front entrance when the door hastily opened, the police finally shaken from their boredom saluting the "officer". I had forgotten that the police were a separate branch of the military, and Envy had transformed into their part-time and slacking superior officer.

"There are a few potential candidates we have to inspect, under direct order from the Fuhrer," Envy waved a document with the undoubtable seal of the Fuhrer on the envelope of the letter. The police members did not even question me as we passed through the boundary into the household of the convicted.

"One close by, to the left," this was the weakest one, sometimes flickering with the flow and sometimes without like an unpredictable light. The prison cells were aligned with 16 convicts in each corridor, eight on either side, separated in their cells by thick, grey walls and steel bars. It was clear that the prisoners' resilience had been worn away for they sat sluggish in the corner of their cells, staring with looking at the floor or sleeping on their mattress; the word "bed" did not suffice.

Envy peered through the first cell that I had pinpointed, pondered and scowled for a second before shaking his head and moving on. The next attempt was as unsuccessful. An underlying worry of my mission ending in failure for Father churned on the inside, but the mystery radiating from the final alchemist, the silhouette puzzled me. Curiosity favoured over my other emotions.

On the middle floor, there was only one cell at the end of the corridor. A guard was seated in a chair outside between two sets of bars, the mandatory position of guarding this particular inmate an obvious discomfort to him. Despite the weapon draped across his side, he was leaning forward in his seat, adjacent to the cell's entrance, knuckles bleached white grappling to the handles. Envy looked at the name on the wall, smiled and entered the depths of the cell. I hesitated; the energy radiating from this human was paralyzing. He revelled, possessed pride, over his abilities.

He was draped in grey, an in-between colour, harbouring no emotion. Black or white or both or none. Volatile. Storm clouds met my golden, although they should have been red. Crimson for the death he had sowed across the land. I sensed it, the lingering fragments of his Red Stone, ingested but not within, exerting a power other alchemists with their cold blue magic could not hope to understand.

Solf J Kimblee was an enigma.

"I never knew that you had a companion," Kimblee said.

"I've been…busy." After Envy closed the door behind him, he blocked me from Kimblee's direct line of sight, unwilling to reveal any details about my existence. He was a broken human near the remains of a broken building. But he kept his hands clasped to his knees, shackles protesting, as though he had a secret ingrained into him.

The man had addressed Envy with an equal status. He did not know the unchanging military soldier had a family with a Father.

"So what do I owe this pleasure?" he beckoned for us to sit down beside him. We did not respond to his courtesy.

He studied Envy for a second, and slouched back, although his feet remained firmly implanted on the ground, his senses obscuring no detail.

"I have a proposal to make to you, Kimblee…" Envy spoke of locations, ideals and plots, pieces of a manipulated code, which I would have deciphered. But I could not _hear_ him. The voices were muted and hazy, as though speaking from a deep, underwater lake. Something was blocking my mind.

"Don't trust him!" There inside of my core. My vision became clouded and I shut my eyes; I had arrived without slipping into my reposed stature. I was suddenly buffeted by an outburst of emotion, swelling like a forest fire in the centre of my core. Except the voice did not come from the souls, or a dream or a memory. The voice was deeper, another depth hidden and chained in secrecy, than the Stone.

The force was so strong, I shuddered. "Don't trust that bastard, goddammit!"

There were no particles in the air here, and no oscillations to create sound waves. It was every emotion clashed together. Most of all, anger, pain and fear. I understood my position in the world, and when I had to choose retreat, but that was by my own deference, not out of _fear._ Strength surged through me, this voice, and my equal. Nothing, _nothing,_ would quash that resolve.

The only force which could match that vitality was a physical part of me; my soul, my spirit, my body.

And the voice slipped away…the voice which was an unconscious reaction of the body. Even that which I owned was pressing in on me, like a shivering rank of serried soldiers raiding a sleeping enemy camp in the light before dawn.

I resurfaced. Again. Envy's reactions were slow and sagging while Kimblee took a full minute to burst into a menacing smile. A single cloud rushing by drowned the prison cell for a period which elapsed like a night; I could see every shift in direction the shadows of the cell's bars adapted. A bird soaring past extended its wings for an eternity, embracing freedom with each endless breath.

My head was thumping. Envy's hands clasped into fists morphed into a white-coloured rock with jagged, undefined features, and then became his fist again. My vision was faltering. I leaned back, and pressed myself against the wall.

Envy's surface area was not supreme enough to cover the entire of the cell. It was only inevitable that if I moved, I would no longer by under his definite protection. Although Envy had sealed his proposition to the Crimson Lotus Alchemist, and his thoughts were rushing to the revitalised missions Father would privilege him with leading. He was a spoilt child. Kimblee's attention was not absorbed on Envy fully. If he had been more interested in Envy than with the young man behind him, oddly distracted just moments after he had been scrutinising him with an eagle's aurous eyes. This individual captured Kimblee's fascination.

"Don't trust him."

I willed my legs to move, but they had become lead, grounding my body to the cell. I reached out for my hands to turn the door of the cell, but they were slumped by my side. My eyes were staring at a fly caught inside a spider's web, becoming entwined in its grasp as destiny wraps itself around a hero. There is no escape.

This man was an ally with Envy, and he had no weapons. All of his former glory had been removed as soon as the bars had been pressed in around him. Envy and I could have been killed by him through infinite lifetimes, and we would still live. If it became necessary, Envy could squash Kimblee like a persisting bug. We had the military and shadows supporting our backs. And Kimblee…

"Don't trust him."

Kimblee's gaze had fallen to mine again. His eyes narrowed, hubris slits, with the cool confirmation of some detail, his posture radiating his supercilious deduction. My hair could be mistaken for a hair dye failure; my height could be mistaken for being younger than people assumed my body to be. But nobody else possessed molten gold eyes.

"I know you."

"But I don't know you." He recoiled at my tone, truthful, and he spoke with wariness, predicting how I would respond.

"I know who you are – but where is that other companion of yours?"

I did not see a reason to reply. Kimblee's voice had lowered to a medium between breath and whisper, the private monologue of a scientist carving together his hypothesis.

Envy snapped. He pushed me to the floor, and I saw it… _panic_ streaking across his frame. His arms were trembling, shaking my shoulders. "Go away. _Now._ "

Kimblee had stood up. He swept past Envy and craned his head to look down at me.

 _Don't trust him._

 _I know you._

"Where have you been, alchemist." It wasn't a question. "The youngest prodigy our State has seen, the Fullme-"

Punch. A fist flew towards Envy's face. My arm stopped inches before it collided with his jaw. It took every paramount willpower I had to stop my hand's aim. I was confronting anger, I was confronting my survival. My feet pounded into the ground, my knees straightened, cracking, as my back arched, each vertebrae popping into position. My chest hardened, steel, my arms colliding together, rivalling the prowess of an earthquake tremor. My muscles grimaced in spite looking down upon my sibling.

I turned to Kimblee, but his mind had become lost amid the recess of madness. His fingers unfurled to reveal the eye and the moon uniting the two halves which unleashed his array of mayhem. He then thought better of his decision and started to whistle an aimless melody into the chilling prison cell.

But there was no need for me to feel anger. I couldn't be complacent. I could not lose control, and I was going to change that. I had to continue fighting. An unbreakable resolve.

And the Homunculus, the weakest and the strongest, dodged Oblivion's chasms of serenity, breaking through the heart of emotion. My mind entered the soul of the storm, where the voice awaited me.

Crash. Lightning rippled around me. Cold ice relentlessly poured against my back. Thunder sang its canorous melody.

Stillness; here I was.

* * *

...

His face scowled, throwing the report onto the desk half-heartedly. As he heard it _thump_ onto the surface, he pivoted around and was about to hurry his way out of the room, when footsteps ushered the creak of a door, as a figure entered the office.

He could have run, but he was too stubborn to do that.

There were emotions, but he could not hear his retorts. He only heard every answer from his superior.

"Late again? You really shouldn't run around like such a hooligan…" _He pisses me off._

"It must be quite terrible to be both insane and short…" _Nobody ever called him that and lived._

"'Bastard'? Now that's a phrase you haven't used in a long time…" _Why couldn't he go to Hell!_

"It's a compliment. There has never been another as indubitable as you…" _Damn what was that supposed to mean?_

"You have a habit of it, alchemist. Always so indubitable…"

* * *

Fullme- the word which Kimblee had not completed. That was who I had been in my human life. I knew it. He had died as I had been born, although, our spirits remained connected. I could never forget these memories as they pressed against me; they belonged to him. But where…how…those were different questions entirely.

And the storm subsided.

* * *

 _Indubitable like he had always said, despite the brat having a knack for being killed. He knew without a doubt that Fullmetal was alive, for he had made his exchange at the Gate. And now he wanted everything back from that naked bastard Truth._


	7. Indubitable

Blue Hour

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters. They belong to Hiromu Arakawa and the respective companies, and I do not own Bluebird's Illusion. I am grateful to be able to create Blue Hour from this beautiful concept.

* * *

This one was so good to write. Pride finally - oh wait, spoilers. Let me just say that Blue is rapidly approaching the next plot hurdle, in another two or three chapters, but there will be a little wait before we get to that stage.

I think it's time to sit back with a cup of coffee now, while you read on. Please enjoy this chapter!

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Indubitable - without having a doubt about the values of something, like a person, or in this circumstance, a stubborn reluctance to never surrender, an unbreakable resolve

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Chapter 7: Indubitable

Their voices were like the droning of a wasp's nest. Ever persistent, ever discordant, but sifting through the layers of speech was equivalent to counting the individual specks of sand sifting through my fingers. And then his voice flashed in my mind, "never…indubitable…" and the strings of reality severed, but I had to hear what they were saying. I couldn't…I clung to the frayed pieces, anticipating disgust, animosity, hate.

 _Don't trust him._

 _I know you._

And then their voices turned into two separate segments.

"Out of impertinent curiosity…what happened to him and his brother?"

"They disobeyed their orders, and so their aimless wanderings had to stop, Crimson Lotus."

"I never knew that he could be so…lifeless. In all of his adventures, he is the one to cause a ruckus."

"Everything that spreads on the wings of rumour is sprinkled with truth. But it's false."

"The way he snapped…he'll never stop fighting, officer. And I don't need to deduce that this incident involves Mustang and the younger brother too. You do not have much time…the military have kept this hushed up for a week."

"We are prepared, Kimblee. You wait and see."

"I hope you heed to your words. Unfortunately, I am becoming a little fractious in this cell. My body craves slaughter and until blood is spilled, this desire will not be sated."

"You shall have all that I promised, and more."

Envy sighed, the quietest of sounds. He was content with the secured trust of the alchemist and envious at what great a focus was required for him to stay calm, so he remained indifferent; action was his preferred response to the birthing tension. A shuffle and the Homunculus strode in my direction. Kimblee whistled the first note of his tune and paused mid-breath.

"They're not dead, are they?"

The black-haired menace grinned, unfurling his arm and letting it release as a seeping green mass. It killed the guard before he could even blink.

* * *

Prisoners were crying in the dungeons along and below. Some were weeping, some were pleading for their lives promising hefty rewards, and some were threatening to lynch the Homunculi. There was one cell which was silent, belonging to the one who had deserted his siblings, Greed the Avaricious. Not even Envy was permitted to bring Greed water or food – he relied upon his dwindling Red Stone for his source of energy. If I had not remembered any of the time from when I was within Father's core, I would not have known that he existed.

Their sounds were wailed out by the churning of the pipes; their contents had been doubled, and they all belonged to Father. Despite the throne room's design being preserved for the past 200 years, the pipes were bulging, black snakes wound in ebony. It was impossible to take a step forward and not come into contact with their cool, metallic touch.

Even the moonlight had faded. There was no moon and no rain. The chamber was dank and moist with the virulent aroma of decay, expelling the rustic smell of the earth. Death had passed through this place a long time ago.

All of the doors had been sealed shut as soon as the solitary figure had entered. The room had all the evidence of being abandoned for centuries because all its single inhabitant indulged himself into were the research manuals he had composed himself; there was no profligate need to memorise its contents. And still, the atmosphere itself had been deprived of sentiment.

Only decay remained, like a fallen soldier seeing the blade of the enemy which would slice them to pieces. A brutal truth, but that was reality. Its creator was questionably functioning, but being considered "alive" was an overstatement.

As the hours came and passed, I began to recover from the sudden hypermnesia. The prisoners started to hush as their bodies forced them into hasty sleep. The skies were overcast, watching and waiting for its climax. My eyes adjusted to the sparse reflections of artificial light beaming from the cracks within the doors. There were no layers of dimension in this place like an ocean in the midnight hour when even the ripples on the water were confused. This room was the central point for creations which reaped havoc and destruction; its entire purpose was perplexing. And these were the closest feelings to doubt that Father would comprehend.

When light broke through the ever-pervading darkness, the shadowy oceans dispersed and scattered, leaving a trail of rigidity which formed shapes of every size. Waking up from a nightmare helped reality to gain literal clarity, although I felt that I was slipping into one, very deep down. Nobody would ever guise this weakness.

And the mirage of colours in the chamber would differentiate into autumnal shades of the earth, inky hues of twilight-spun webs and the luminous ascension of gold, like the sun peeling its dawn skin as it leaped into the sky as more light filtered inside the cavern. A spectacle most humans would stand up and applaud with awe.

Father was sitting however. His body was distorted by light and dark, but some features jutted out, seemingly terrestrial and out of character. In this way, I could distinguish the most basic of features; his arms were folded, legs curved, a hand resting upon a knee while the other was placed wearily on his golem throne.

My legs were starting to cramp beneath me, my feet tucked underneath my thighs. Father shuffled once, and there was a sudden rush of air as he disconnected his body from the pipes harvesting Philosopher's Stones from his four remaining laboratories. He had been generous in the souls he had transferred to me, and even though he was never killed or had to deplete excessive energy from his stone exempting his simple transmutations, for his plan to succeed, Father required more.

I stood, ignoring every internal protest. Protest was an understatement. The force was screaming at me to run to hit to punch to fight the bastard father killer murderer betrayer. Betrayal defined his outbursts, a betrayal which had marshalled so much bloodshed. The individual heralding these titles descended towards my level. I knew what he was going to do, but I also knew my Father unlike any other. So I did nothing.

His hand moved faster than a detonating explosion. Blood seeped from my chest as Father stuck his hand inside of me. He was reaching for my core. It wasn't in my stomach, my tongue, my sternum, but where a blood red core should be contained, directly over my heart.

The souls rushed to Father's calling, attracted to their creator, seeking any refuge from their container. That way, there was the possibility of being reunited with their bodies. I willed their flow to halter and stop at the barrier between my body and his. Father was examining my Stone. I couldn't feel it, but I could sense the mental probe, sifting through the souls like paperwork of information. The night stretched on for millennia, drawing out the suspense which riddled through my mind. Radiate my namesake. As long as I was silent, I would be unable to betray myself.

Suddenly the probing paused. It had reached the end, but I sensed it ruminating around the encasement I had generated with the force to contain the cries of despair. But with Father, they had been nullified to specimens of an experiment. His detachment scoured through me. The encasement was different from the souls, as the probe was still hesitating. Father never hesitated. And then, almost reluctantly, it began to withdraw. _I would kill you in an instant but you are too valuable to kill._ And Father valued little when the world was under his remote dominance.

Father's hand quickly retreated and with a glow of alchemic brightness which brought maroon colours to life, the blood and wound simultaneously knitted together. I continued to stare past Father, silent now without the additional voices of the prisoners and the pipes. My fingers started to pull at my black sleeves, crimson swirls on one arm mottled to my skin and my eyes began to flicker in every direction like a falling leaf undecided about where to settle in the autumn.

"Enough, Pride."

Although unknown from his indifferent complexion, Father had come to a decision. He was straightened in his seat now and his hands were carefully laid on his lap, the closest position to being regal that he could adopt. My hands started to itch but I knew I was conjuring these thoughts in my mind as a distraction. The force had been subdued, but I felt its unrelenting volatility brewing inside of me, hate laced with each passing breath.

"I know, Father. I cannot be purified fully, because that will kill me," Father did not react to the bluntness of my tone, one of the habits I had adopted from him. I was Pride, and I was a part of him too, but I had the body of a human. I was _not_ a human, but I depended upon this container to assure my survival.

"Yes, my son." There were no more words that needed to be spoken. Envy was the only garrulous one out of the Homunculi as the shadows must always be guarded in the circumstance that the surreal goodness of the light side trip on a lead which would hinder our plans further. The reek of the air was circulating through my body; originally it was a minor facet of the polluted, contaminated underground atmosphere, and it had multiplied exponentially, as if feeding on the tension a fool would have been ignorant to miss.

His eyes were weary as he saw me clamber up towards the throne, my shorter height accommodating for the strength of my mind. I knew that Father was aware of who and what the force around my core was. I knew that I possessed something the other Homunculi could not hope to muster – I had already carved myself a legacy before I had been born into this blood.

I wanted to remember it all, but Father was my creator. He had given me a purpose to live, a home and a family, a complete whole which I had never sensed before. And yet, why did I feel hollowness in my heart, when I was only a world away from the company of others.

Dreams can only bring solace to a certain extent. The rest is damn hard work. Sometimes, even I don't understand what I was thinking. I was the confused one, a desolate bluebird lost amid the infinite skies.

I had to prove to Father, and myself, that I could bear the weight of a legacy as the last Homunculus, as his Pride, the most prized sin. The position on his right-hand side was natural and my movement past his throne was so graceful that Father's lips curled into a smile. I placed a hand onto the throne's arm rest, testing the weight of the boulder below me. It held, as though the spirit of the chasm within Central was accepting my position. There was no doubt in my mind. _There was every doubt in my mind._

Leaving the underground lair would be highly unlikely. Father would keep his youngest child, spoilt, close under his surveillance; he had five other children to do his bidding. But they had all been extracted and the moment of mayhem was only drawing closer. I shuddered with anticipation, and _hate,_ at the plans I held vague knowledge over. I was his to command. _I wanted to run._

However, my body was twitching. My toes curled, staying grounded into the earth, although as I struggled to keep a grasp on my fingers when I could control my core in an instant, irritation escalated inside of me. Father could remain so composed, and as Pride, I wouldn't reveal my weakness to Oblivion. But my menace of a body was a traitor.

My legs started to burn. The muscles were protesting to being cramped and stretched in too short a period of time. I had never noticed how my body could behave with its reflexes, and when I wanted to stand stoically beside Father through the rest of the night, it had abandoned me. Irritation rapidly morphed into frustration, which was my body's natural response. The internal force was channelling power into my annoyance.

I stamped my foot over the other. Father continued to read. I pulled my fingers through my hair, wincing at how tight the knots had formed. Father continued to read. And I suddenly needed the toilet, so I clenched my hands inside of my hair, dragging a section of my scalp along with it.

"Goddamn it all!"

Father turned around to that. My cheeks flushed red; embarrassment was a hereditary action to Pride, but anger was not.

"Envy informed me that you violently responded to one of the guests despite our hegemony over their species. Do not relent and cower to their dastardly intentions." Every time I returned to the surface, any small detail of memory or recollection would trigger within me and the results had been devastating. If I remembered the pain and ordeal of the extraction and purification, I would have been driven to madness and despised the prospect of a family. Greed had remembered, and now he was bound in chains that would shatter his Ultimate Shield and enough of his Stone remaining to sustain him until Father had need of his Avarice.

 _Perhaps that was the only way…_ That was like him, the force, always so indubitable. The glass in the crystal ball shifted again, and another detail, like the vision of the abusive and demanding superior officer, who had chastised my…his every response, may have slipped. Except this time, nothing happened. In the throne room, even an earthquake could be subdued in the middle of the night.

And all of the frustration, the anger, and the visions slipped away as tiredness soaked through me. The outburst died away as a storm was penetrated by the fearless rays of the Sun, lapping at the rain. I realized that my mouth was open, gaping towards Father and he frowned with minute discipline, although my shoulders sagged not only from the weariness but at his accepting my inescapable humanity. As I rubbed at my cheek, my eyes straining to remain open, Father started to read his book again, and the doors began to rise and open fountains of colour flooding into the limp chamber. I was dismissed.

My legs protested initially, but as I strode through the antechambers to my compartment, the constant rhythm of movement against the ground stretched my legs so they ached, but an exhilarating one. I had rarely left my room during the days after the extraction, and I was only noticing now that mine was separated further away from the main chamber and away from the other Homunculi. As I passed a right turn, the noise of pipes dulled away. I had raised my shoulders behind my back and was loosening the ligaments like a cat ruling over its domain, but the door was wide open. Only one of the Homunculi would be so negligent over a simplistic requirement. Envy.

I was curious, or that was my excuse. The frustration had to be replaced with something, and I would not return to nothingness. So I peered left down towards the corner I had come from, looked right and double-backed over my shoulder again. Nobody was there. I snorted at the lack of obedience Envy possessed, despite how he was willing to carry out Father's bidding when mayhem was involved. An invisible wind rippled through the tunnel; the door was gaping fully open, but it began to creak. I winced, although every sound was insignificant with Sloth starting to snore next door. He could provide the magnitude for that earthquake on his own without a problem.

I held my breath and darted into the room behind the door, so nobody would suspect that I was poking around my sibling's abandoned chamber, and it was bare. White walls, white ceiling, white floor. There was a door leading to the bathroom which Envy did not need; it was there for aesthetic purposes, or if he felt the desire to shower. He had standards to achieve. And there was a door with a lock in chains on it to my right, an annexe leading to where Sloth was sleeping. Only my room was disconnected from the other Homunculi.

Envy did not need a bed, but one was squashed and propped up against the wall in a small corner of the room. Unused. A desk with adequate working space for more than three detailed case studies at once to be sprawled across the desk was pristine. Unused. I shook my head, feeling the closest emotion to regret about entering an abandoned room with little interest. Still cautious, I pressed my hand against the side of the door, preparing my body to leave the room, turn the corner and act as though I was not guilty of entering somebody's property without their permission. It was a sin. I sighed; the room did belong to a deadly sin, but I held escaping as a higher priority.

Something scratched the back of my neck. And as I jolted backwards, my hand reached out and scraped over the paper and blood welled at the cut. I applied pressure with my other hand and gazed around to see the map of Amestris. It was over half of my body height in length at eye level to Envy who was still several inches taller than me, and so my neck had scraped the bottom of the map. But Envy's entire room was bare. This was disguised, as though it was some secret cove cluttered with treasure. The paper was not creased and immaculate in condition. Unusual. Envy's ratty hair was the evidence of how appearance mattered little to him with his Ultimate Form seconds away from activating.

Suddenly, a voice bellowed through the corridor. I quickly peered around the door's edge again and as I moved my hands back, I saw the blood on the white wall… I automatically reapplied pressure to the cut, but the wound had stopped bleeding. However, the blood was curved like a half-eaten orange skin, pinned to the doorframe. I grabbed my sleeve and scrubbed at the door. _I am not a fool, I am not a fool._ But I was.

The blood seemed to spread. The bellow sounded again, but it drifted closer this time, and the presence was approaching. "How could you let him go like that?" Envy only muttered to himself. And he rarely defied Father with this level of vivacity in his tone. He was seething with anger and there was no thought required to determine the subject of his resentment. There I stood, evidence sprawled across the wall, in his private place.

My hands touched against the wall; my body reacted only out of instinct. I blinked, held my breath, a composed confidence flowing through me. I imagined Father sealing my wound closed with his Philosopher's Stone. My own catalyst responded willingly with no force to resist their flow; I called upon their power. The blood... it was composed of dissolved gases, proteins, water and iron. The majority of these elements would simply diffuse back into the atmosphere and I could hold the pure iron metal. The knowledge was flooding through me. The crackles of alchemy appeared at the tendrils of my fingertips and the blood began to decompose just like Father had done.

The sparks were a billowing red and they were subdued as I unintentionally intended them to be. I could hear the footsteps now and I caught the iron shards before they had the opportunity of clattering to the floor. The blood stains had faded and I did not have a second to comprehend of what had happened. His shadow was an unwelcome phantom to the white halls and light, but they shrouded every corner in ebony. There was no escape. But the evidence had vanished.

I held my breath. His steps broke gorges into the floor below; he was panting like a feral animal outside of his door. If he had looked down, he would have seen the traces of my silhouette. My legs started to cramp again and I clenched my jaw shut, willing the distraction to ebb away. I almost looked pleadingly at my legs to do as my mind commanded them to for once.

A sack of clothes was thrown into the room inches from me. Some items dropped to the floor and resounded with the undoubtable ring of metal. I stared at my hands, palms digging into the iron firmly in my grip. An ounce of breath escaped – the sound had not been of my consequence. He paused. Hours lagged by, the flickering of artificial lights and Sloth snoring being the only distractions to the looping cycle of pause, breathe, pause, breathe. Father most likely did not know of the existence of this map. And I wanted to turn around and fully examine its contents; Envy would not place a map of Amestris on the wall with it bearing no significance.

But if I moved from my position, hand barred against the door, other hand clamped firmly shut, feet inches from the door, hair brushing the map, the door would squeak, and I would be discovered. My chest constricted, ribs pressing against the skin as if I was trying to slip through the wall like a spectral being.

One can only tolerate waiting so long as there was something worthwhile waiting for. Otherwise, boredom wins.

Even my body's movements to breathing became monotonous as the anticipation drained from me, excitement fever fading away, but my mind reeled on alert. Envy's feet stomped…and bound past me. There was a heavy banging on the door to which Sloth's snoring paused and strengthened. Envy growled under his breath and after a thunderous _slam_ the door flew backwards on its hinges. A bed creaked, the sighs of the victim forced into consciousness as he lagged behind while Envy continued to bark commands at him. That was the only way to effectively communicate with the Indolent One.

I smiled as a warm pride of victory radiating from my core and I almost skipped out of the room in the opposite direction, back towards the main chamber. I was not going to risk a short cut. Only moments had passed before I slipped to the floor at the side of my bed, rubbing strands of hair loose from around my eyes. The world was a blend of white and gold. And even though my breathing had become stable so any of the other Homunculi would witness Pride behaving taciturn, euphoria made my senses giddy locked away in my privacy.

Ever since my extraction, I had to tighten my focus on reality or I would fall into nothingness. Whether it be nothingness, Oblivion or an absence of perspective, emotions were hard to cognate. Except pride. They were like foreign entities which were trying to communicate with me but this effort was to no effect. Nothing was all in the belief of Father, and that was perfection, an essence of God. Immediately after my seventh split from his, I was closest to him, until my own experiences differentiated Pride apart from Father and the other Homunculi. I would serve Father as Pride with or without a cascade of emotions.

My shoulders ached, longing for sleep, but I dreamily headed towards the bathroom, hoping that would encourage answers to surface from the rustling layers of red from within. I banged my head on the door, testing the knobs at the base of the shower, too tired to be indignant.

The water was freezing, daggers dragging against my skin, prolonging the splinter pain that always accompanied the sheer cold. My hands automatically attempted to twist the knob but the grip was loose on my trembling fingers from the cold. Before my grip could fully slip, I pulled and amid the torrent of falling water, I could see the knob whirling around.

A few seconds passed as the temperature of the water adjusted to lukewarm. Steam started to pour from the shower and my body. Before the mist could cloud my vision, I turned the knob back to its lowest temperature setting. As the water shifted back to a glacial frigidity, my muscles, tensed and cramped, let the shower soak the aches away.

And now I could finally think with a clear mind.

Pounding water. I flexed out my arms and legs, the tattoos intertwined across my skin, wrapping around my Ouroboros mark. The movements responded to my desires without strain or a delay before the action reciprocated my mind's commands. This body was mine to control like I had dominance over my core.

Frozen jets of shower spray. The map in Envy's room, blended into obscurity. My fingers felt along the already healing skin. A paper cut. Envy's map could not have been made out of paper for it to have been preserved unscathed for so long. There were extra details on the map most likely, pinned to the wall with the paper. I had to find out what these "details" were.

I did not desire power, food, freedom, sleep or any possessive item like my siblings, but solutions to the questions I wanted answered.

Who was I?

Kimblee had known. The other Homunculi and Father knew. The world was mocking me, Fullme-. Damn.

The crystal ball flashed inside of my mind again. Every trace, every memory was stored in its disarrayed library. There was no method of breaking out; Father's alchemy was too powerful, so breaking in from the outside was the solution with a trigger, a catalyst. Like sparring, like the soldiers, like Kimblee. Every trace, every memory had reunited with me on the surface.

If I wanted to regain all of my memories…I would have to remain on the surface for a great enough time. And regaining one memory robbed me of mobility and reason for hours, overwhelming pieces of information.

I let my legs slip to the floor beneath me, toes stretching to touch the other side of the wall. They could not reach. The water pummelled relentlessly against my back, as though I was beneath a waterfall in the northern mountains. My face became tense and stern; the memories would take too long to regain at once, so I had to contend with what I was certain of.

But every time I tapped into that recess of knowledge, my knowledge, there was a rebound. I focused my catalyst on overwhelming the rejection force, but my muscles cramped beneath me. The efforts were to no avail. However, one I could remember.

Suddenly, ice poured onto my back. But I remembered those eyes, with the strength of fire to annihilate his enemies and the warmth of glowing embers to lighten up sorrowful hearts. Mine. But I remembered those eyes which haunted my dreams, allowing me to sink away from that tormenting nothingness which would have driven me to insanity. No words had been spoken, but they had given me strength to fight for a thousand lifetimes. That was what the purification was. Fighting to gain control over every soul, confused and bound together in an endless mass of desolation. Overcoming the instinct to surrender every damned second to pass my body over to Oblivion. I could feel my knees buckling; Envy was right. Thinking about that time…was like glimpsing at Hell.

I wouldn't surrender since I was "always so indubitable" according to him. I remembered every word he said in that vision. Despite the air itself starting to freeze, my hands hesitating at the knobs, when they dropped, indisposed, as inside, I was warm. The water continued to rush by.

Not all fires burn with fiendish spurts though. Some preserve life in the darkness where none but the bravest tread, there to protect, to preserve.

Flames dancing as the wax of a candle melts. Some cannot be preserved despite all attempts to resurrect and rekindle its ethereal waltz in the night.

None were him. Infinite and raging. Sarcastic and notorious for his laziness. Wittingly intelligent and a deadly chess player. Hidden depths of emotion few could see. Most only saw the reaper of destruction in which bestowed him the title of Flame.

God I hated that man.

I cursed myself internally for remembering him; I wish I hadn't. But I knew him. And his name is Colonel Roy Mustang.


	8. If Only Once

Blue Hour

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters. They belong to Hiromu Arakawa and the respective companies, and I do not own Bluebird's Illusion. I am grateful to be able to create Blue Hour from this beautiful concept.

* * *

Chapter 8: If Only Once

I stared at the ceiling for the rest of night, unwilling to slip into aimless dreams. Even though a time from the past was likely to resurface, as soon as I was recalled to the waking world, they would abandon me. I counted the number of threads which made a spider's web in the corner of my room. Nothing happened.

I thought that regaining the memory of a person would be the pinnacle moment. The flashbacks would stream through my mind, the crystal ball would smash, and I would be free. But those were the wishes of naïve fools. My eyes strained shut, reluctant to surrender to the darkness, trying to recall one of those visions. My legs were folded over each other, and I could feel the right leg below being constricted of its blood flow. There were more important things to think about.

Roy Mustang. The Flame Alchemist. A talented alchemist who was a Colonel/General; his rank didn't really bother me. I knew he would refute to that comment. I knew he would chide me into behaving like an adult but stubbornly protest two minutes later when his coffee was too cold. However, I knew nothing about myself.

My body had instinctively unfolded the sheets and my feet had slid beneath its blanket warmth. I was too far below ground, below the city most likely, to hear the morning birds, but they were there. Dawn must have been approaching. I smiled, finally finding a purpose to leave my room and receive the commands from Father; he tolerated my night-time ventures with letting Envy not notice me so, but the night was his alone. He liked to use the silent hours in his private research. If I craned my head towards the door, the pipes would echo and the sound of the flicking of a page would reach my room. And I had a human body, a nuisance of a body, which commanded me to be vulnerable, asleep and unconscious, through the whole twilight realm.

I stretched my arms wide and then vertically upwards. The moment my feet made contact with the ground, a manic cry pierced the silence around me.

Envy burst into the room what seemed like moments later. I was pulling my fingers through my hair, the thought of a ratty brush damaging its delicate golden strands vile, and instead waited for him to parade around before pushing me out of the room. But as the door pushed open wider, the black outfit and abundance of charcoal-coloured hair mistakable for the Jealous, Lust patiently waited by the door of the room. She had her lips pursed which widened into an incomprehensible grin, veiled in secrecy. And before I had a chance to react, she retraced her steps along the corridor as I stumbled along after my sibling. She was the next most affluent sin to Father followed by Envy. She had mentored half of my siblings, including my mentor. She was not a force to be reckoned with.

Without turning her back as I paced along the corridor to keep up with her, she said in her adulated tone, "Very well done, Pride. You understand the meaning of haste."

I paused for a second, wondering how I should respond to her. My response was similar to what I would have said to a certain superior officer. "I'd rather that than a lecture from you."

She turned around, venomous eyes striking mine, slits filled with nothing, no feral attitude, hunger, fear or discrepancy between any two emotions. They belonged to a being that would attack her prey with caution, and that unpredictable nature made her more dangerous and cunning than Envy. Very much like our Father.

Every instinct cried out in my body to turn around. Never to go back to the room and cower in fear of the shadows but because the source of that cry had come in that direction. I dared not question Lust, for despite her understanding for freedom and shared desires extracted from the same soul, we were entirely different. My curiosity to _understand_ was unparalleled with hers no matter what experience she could muster. There are traits which instinct makes stronger than any experience in life could; I possessed these before I had been born.

I chose to wait, but I quickened my pace. We had arrived at the real home of the Homunculi, a gift from our beloved Father in which he did not have to dwell with our vocative actions. United, we were perfection, but separated, we were sins.

It was just a white room, except larger, with ornate chairs, seven, surrounded in a circle. Envy's was abandoned. Mine was untouched. Gluttony was scoffing some apples, sitting in the gap between Lust's and his own chair. Greed was gone. Sloth was asleep. But Wrath was poised in his seat, the devout leader he was, drinking a cup of tea as was his regular occurrence with his privileges.

"Lust, Pride, you're back! Did you bring something for me to eat?" Somehow in the space of three seconds, Gluttony had devoured a whole bushel of apples and was cackling maddeningly while licking his lips. Lust rested a hand on his little fat head and returned to lean against the door. I took my position on the opposite site, arms folded, and my pretence of leaning against the wall when my body was ready to react in a second. Fatigue was no concern of mine. My body would, reluctantly, manage.

"No, Gluttony. Look underneath your seat, I left another bushel of apples for you." Gluttony suddenly dug a porky hand beneath the chair, gleaming white teeth savouring ravenously. He looked up expectantly at Lust, as though they were going to enact a routine of old. The apples were thrown into the air and Wrath's sword sliced the fruit into pieces, caught eagerly by the salivating Homunculus. But Wrath was still sipping his tea. Lust allowed her elongated daggers to retreat, blowing on her fingertips in serene achievement. The Ultimate Spear.

While Gluttony ate noisily in his obviously secluded corner, she beckoned for me to sit down, to which I responded to only after she had been seated for a few seconds. I wanted to be sure she was not going to move. Her Ultimate Spear, her mind; they were both as unpredictable as a typhoon. Deadlier. Wrath drained the last drops of his tea, although he managed the feat with stature and etiquette miraculously. His eye opened and he adopted his militaristic pose, I strangely admired the straight back, feet firmly implanted on the ground, but I slumped out of some long lost habit.

"Let's make this quick, shall we?" When Wrath received no form of dejection he continued. "Envy has had to go alone-"

"Why?" I interjected.

"Problems in the military, Pride." He coughed, one of the subtle signs that sixty years had passed since his body's birth. I appeared seemingly satisfied, but he ignored my neutral expression, as though he was unwilling to witness the other emotions residing within me.

"As long as we do not harm our guests, Father permits anything, although I for one do not want to get my hands dirty." Lust traced a finger along her other poisonous nails, smiling an ever-waxing smile. She enjoyed this chaos, albeit in a less sadistic way than Envy.

"I don't want harm using the lives of all of my men. For now, we need our army to ensure our borders remain the correct size, especially in the east and north." That was all that Wrath said. The other Homunculi slept, ate, ruminated in near silence, as though they were waiting for someone to announce the decision they had already unanimously agreed upon. I was looking at Wrath's four-starred insignia. _He would have had three._

I referred to my siblings as "they". I was there; I was one of the Seven, although I felt more isolated here than I did in the surface above. However, this feeling was not necessarily a bad one. I was their equal, the first council with my participation, or their closest conception to one, that had been held. But I sighed and closed my eyes; this was _their_ politics, and not mine.

They were hiding something from me. The way in how Lust had arrived instead of Envy, Envy's hasty disappearance, explaining his foul mood last night. He hated a venture to the surface without violence or drama, which this task he had been set was evidently lacking in. That was usually dealt with Wrath or Lust. However, Father had specifically chosen Envy even in the middle of the night, dusk, dawn, whatever damn time it was then. What skills did Envy inherently possess with greater fortitude than the other Homunculi? In the battlefield, only Wrath could defeat him, while Lust would have been his equal. Amongst Envy's raptures, I had listened to the odd detail, beholden to his garrulous tongue. Envy's main prowess was stirring havoc, but evidently at how subdued my siblings were, they wanted the opposite effect. They wanted limited violence as was possible. So why would they deploy a Homunculus with desires for destruction? It was appointing the Crimson Lotus Alchemist to rebuild the cities that he had felled to the ground. It made no sense...

I gasped but followed with a cough in quick succession. Wrath was polishing his sword materialised from its sheath, silent as the screams of his enemies. Envy had more enemies than were spoken of, the truth within the truth. The Ishvalans despised the Amestrians as a cause of war and cold-blooded murder…which Envy had caused. Family members had been torn in half between religion and governance in the state of Reole, named by the government, or Liore, named by its residents…which Envy had caused. But nobody knew the truth. Envy only loved the violence he could evoke with the uncanny power that he possessed; pompous that he could never be defeated. It was cowardly, sickening. His abuse of my attribute made me repulse. He was jealous of our personalities though, more so than any human, especially when he was infused with it to his core.

Jealousy was an ugly thing. Hence, Father had given Envy the Ultimate Form, or the essence of chaos, to distract him from this reality.

Envy had had to activate his Ultimate Form for Father, and he did not achieve personal gain; he had been issued a command from Father. Having earned our immediate respect from birth, Envy would obey, even if his task was not about violence or bloodshed.

He had returned to the surface while we waited in the shadows. Gluttony was attempting to consume the net the apples had been contained within. Lust had procured a nail file from the space at the edge of her boot and Wrath had moved from the hilt to the blade of his weapon, polishing with finite pertinacity; he was shivering, his movements as dull as fog, across the blade. A slash, like a layer of the sword being peeled away, the faint echoing of sonorous cries from the metal. There was no need to mention how Sloth was occupying his time.

Lust started to make drifting conversation. Wrath politely answered, commenting on the "trivial" strategy of life and death while I nodded or whispered a response.

Father and the supposed mission were not mentioned again; these were the only fractions of conversation that interested me. The Flame Alchemist…what would he have done in this situation? Adopted a poker face and resumed his game of chess; the ways of the military dabbled little into real politics, instead being the works of strategy and choice. Predict what my rival would decide, and then decide from my choices: maintain an equilibrium which would minimise the loss to both them and I, or leave them no outcome which could benefit them as much as it would I.

Although I could be one for contemplating in silence when I was absorbed in a…book…my siblings' intentions remained ambiguous. My curiosity never lingered too far behind. But they were not the ones to orchestrate the future of Amestris, it was Father. He was always one stage ahead in this game of strategy, and he was missing from here. I wanted to find him; only he and Envy were my superiors, and that was by my own choice. Father had, with unspoken diffidence, decided that I was to remain below the surface, and unless I wanted to partake regaining my memories, which I was still undecided about, I would follow his commands. But I could follow Envy if his task was below the surface level, somewhere within the network of tunnels spread throughout home.

The Homunculi did not want me to find Envy. The manic cry I had heard...of course it could have been none other than Envy. Below...like the cries of the prisoners begging for their release. Envy was interrogating one of the prisoners!

They had chosen. That was what they had decided to do. To sit and wait for Envy to return with his report. They had long enough lives to live – another few hours would have contributed to no difference. But that was their decision. I chose mine. I pushed myself out of the chair, turned away and didn't look back to see if they were following me.

* * *

" _Why…"_ I muttered under my breath. My feet were transporting me to the throne room, an unconscious movement of loyalty harrowed down to my core. While my sight caught the floor, the ceiling, the walls, the corridor, as though the wizened artefacts could provide me with answers, I sighed. I had to ask Father.

I had disobeyed them. _I wasn't forced to be a part of their meeting._ I had set myself apart from the other Homunculi, just like Greed…How did I know about him...A flash.

 _"_ _I cannot believe that these supposed Homunculi actually exist…and they cannot die." He grinned. "We'll see how long it takes to burn their Philosopher's Stones, since they are only artificially-created humans. It's like killing a doll a child adamantly believes is a real, living human…"_

I couldn't wait...I had to find out. The flares of energy simultaneously rose in my mind's eye. This time however, I wasn't searching for a person who could manipulate that energy, but how much foreign energy they actually contained, the reverse of identifying who could control that flow. It was so simple. The only one with a Philosopher's Stone and who could manipulate that flow…was Father. I pinpointed him, through the pipes, towards the surface, and then subduction down into the ground…

A presence blocked my ability, as though I was some smaller predator being so intent on its prey that they do not see the darkness looming directly behind them. I probed further, but the force only grew stronger, like that rejection force, but with a cataclysmic force of many times more power. Father.

We were too similar, sharing an identical ethos and beliefs when I had been extracted. Even though I was beginning to differentiate from him to become the one Pride was, I was nevertheless a fraction of him. The closest. However the other deadly sins were exclusively disparate from Pride. Opposites attract, and their stones would reciprocate my energy transmissionn

I jolted backwards under the immense pressure and after panting under the huge strain, I straightened my back, and allowed my search to carry me further underground, in the reversed direction from Father. There was a sudden mass of energy, and I had to retrace my probe back along to those the energy sources, identifying their exact signature. And I understood. There were two Homunculi in the prison cells.

All Father could hear was the pause in my footsteps and their stifling, deadening into stillness as I headed towards the prison cells away from the throne room. He smiled, and resumed to read his book. Just like his precious Pride.

My descent and voyage deeper into the earth brought a horrible sense of nostalgia to me. I was shaking furiously, but for some apparent reason, this was not the sensation of déjà vu from my own body. It was as if I was remembering the experiences of another, and not the Flame. He would have feigned courage anywhere.

That thought provided me with strength as I wound down the spiral staircase, an infinite chasm in which I was being swallowed up by the core of Amestris. The source of power, the source of all alchemy in the land being from those tectonic movements in the core, that even Father would have admired if he could feel such emotions. I was caged within a dream in which my body acted without the process of reason. I kept climbing down the stairs. But I refused to return without an answer.

The first detail I heard was resentment. I rested my head on the moist stone, the dripping of groundwater trickling along my face as the tension gained clarity as words. I was there before I was able to cognate that I had taken more than one step forward.

"What do I want, Envy? You know the answer."

"No time for your riddles! Answer me…there have been supposed sightings in the South Area, Greed. One of them is alive. Hmm, let me wonder…where did Wrath have to drag you back home from this time? Dublith, in some run-down attraction bar."

His tone was notoriously bored and if Envy had been attuned to his sibling's voice as opposed to the dominance over the younger Homunculus being locked behind prison bars, he would have realized this interrogation was futile. The chains drooped, as though his body was sagging with the dreariness of the interrogation. "I don't know, you fool."

"Shut up, would you, Greed! Answer me!" Envy's voice was rising to a pitch of hysteria. They had endured through the same routine for centuries, the exact same and opposite as Lust and Gluttony.

He looked up, seemingly staring past Envy at the wisps of golden hair poking out from the shadowed corner. Greed must have recognised me, or was instead whispering his secrets to the duskiness. And he spoke to us. "If only once, Brother, you could look beyond your own damned skin."


	9. Elicia and Another

Blue Hour

This was going to be one chapter...but then I managed to tease it into two, so apologies for the shorter update. There'll be an update soon - so please refrain from the pitchfork and fire riots for my leave on Blue. But y'all are too lovely to do that (are you!?) XD

A quick warning: this chapter has some older themes and courser language used.

And of course, this is for you _A Dauntless Phangirl._ Thank you for lighting up the sunset to a glorious gold.

Please enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 9: Elicia and Another

My own skin? My own skin… This was my body, but was it truly under my dominance?

The Fifth Laboratory would force me to cross paths with my siblings and Father. Father would be able to detect my leaving, that much was obvious. Although as I passed through a back passage, my pace ever quickening, I was allowed to leave the underground lair with little resistance, as though Father was bored of his children's antics.

My feet stumbled all the way to the surface. I followed the same tunnel up to the mansion where Envy and I had sparred what seemed like months ago. But I didn't look at anything. I carried forward into the city. No thoughts processed through my mind; the connections of my body reverberating off the ground, the numerous sites of clamour in the city, never quelled despite the hushed nocturne during the twilight hours. And for once, my body was content to follow the movement, as if by instinct controlled by God himself.

The outer fringe of the city faded away, and the military campus loomed above. I heard the river before I noticed its sleek current, gently buffeted by the avenue of trees encompassing its serenity, the only escape from the madness of the urban lifestyle. As I automatically gazed around at the wandering crowds, I sighed, wishing I could immerse myself into the lifeform which sub-consciously existed at the heart of Central, I shook my head too. I didn't know what I was doing. And for once, my mind and body acted in union.

My breathing accelerated to match my pace. I knew I was close, although with the identical lines of buildings looming at either side of me, it was nearly impossible to sense direction in this place. However, there was no requirement to think. I saw her sitting on a bench beside the river; pompoms lopsided in her hair; kicking loose stones and watching them tumble into the river's flow. Why her? What could a human do for a Homunculus?

"Elic-" I couldn't finish. She had turned around already, leaping off her seat so the frame protested beneath her, and she buried her petite form into my chest. She wasn't sobbing or laughing, but she was solemn. Even I knew that was not how a child should behave; she should be laughing with her friends, enjoying the summertime light while its eves were long with renewed hope and vigour. And then she would fall asleep ere the rising of the moon, watching tranquilly from any intruders who may disturb her slumbering form with persisting nightmares. I wanted…to preserve that happiness.

But even a purpose for existence is as tainted as our Bluebird's Illusion.

"You came back for me. It's been too long…" I led her tentatively back to the bench and sat down beside her. All I could hear was our shallow breathing, nature's soliloquy of wind rustling the willows around lightly, water gurgling while embracing the fallen green leaves like a mother's touch. She pulled her pompoms out and rested her head against my shoulder. Minutes passing like hours fleeted by, but our interlude of seclusion was not altered. One constant amid the madness. But I felt strangely at peace, with thoughts of appeasing the Homunculi, Father and my own deadly sin in particular buried in dust for the time.

"Nobody else will leave you again, I promise."

"You promise?"

"On my Pride…Elicia. Your name. That is all that I know… for certain…" She roused from her pretend slumber, shrugging her shoulders and rubbing her eyes. Her green eyes shone bright with a curiosity but there were shards of darker colours in there, bearing witness to the memories she had experienced. Ones I shared with her and did not.

She was hesitant for a few seconds more, but as though by an unknown voice encouraging her to speak, she began. "I've been waiting for you to return for a long time. Mummy told me not to have any false hopes…but I knew you would come. It may have been last month or tomorrow or in years to come but you would come back. Daddy told me so, and he made a promise never to lie to me." She smiled then, gazing into a lost heaven.

"I'm Elicia Hughes. My mummy is called Gracia. And my daddy is the greatest officer in the world…" She closed her eyes and opened them with an unspoken fever of pride. I could feel it in the air around us. "Brigadier General Maes Hughes!"

I saw it in my mind's eye. The map which was Envy's most prized possession. I remembered the detail which had until been obscured from my memory. Pieces of paper fastened to the map pointing out locations of significance to the Homunculus of his favourite moments of bloodshed. There was Ishval and north-east of the desert nation, Reole at its fringe between North and East. All of the locations had pictures pinned to them - pictures of the people he had assured the certain death for. Some of the images were older on paper staining brown, but still these were in immaculate condition in his sadistic way. Preserving the memories of euphoria which brought my sibling so much horrific joy. Even though there were several pictures from Central, the anomaly was one of a family stained in blood. At the bottom in an inky caption read _"Hughes Family, 1913"._ A smiling mother and daughter, Elicia, and a man beaming with happiness unknown to many. He had loved that family more than most cherished their closest desires to their secret hearts.

Maes Hughes was a family man. And he had been torn apart from his family…by Envy.

The rain fell onto my fingers, yet it was not raining. I held her close, her cries muffled into my jacket. My arm went around her back, and despite my smaller height, she was still young enough so I could embrace her properly. This was one duty I hadn't given to her and I was a fool to forget my duty to her. Not after all that family had given to this world to gain bloody murder in return.

Fuck Equivalent Exchange.

But I couldn't say that to her. I realized that she had turned around, looking rigidly at the ground, "I want my daddy. He said he was coming back…and he promised he would never lie to me. Why couldn't he come back?" She held her breath, attempting to compose herself. It was sickening; it was obvious she had practiced this routine of grief too many times before. She choked on her tears. "I…" Her eyes brimmed with unconditional love, her lips wobbling, and her body fell into my lap.

"I want my daddy back!" The river kept flowing. The wind kept blowing.

I stared at my hand, the right one, not decorated with an array of elaborate tattoos. There and then, I wanted to strip the Ouroboros tattoo from my skin. It was an emblem…that I had been born from _him._

There I would wait until sunset, when Elicia's tears had become long buried away to the place where the remnant traces of my heart still lived.

* * *

 _He was alive, but he had died. He remembered pain saving Ed's sorry ass. He just had to jump in front of the golden fool, a valiant martyr, without using his ignition gloves. Fucking idiot._

 _Instead of an army of pretty women all in miniskirts awaiting him in Heaven, he arrived at the doorway of Hell, or more precisely, the doorway of Truth. He had to perform the transmutation or Fullmetal could have died. Even on the brink of death, Roy Mustang had standards to uphold._

 _"_ _Welcome…" Truth stood there, naked and white, in its doorway, grey, and its void, naked and white. He started having hallucinations…no, his mind could not wander away now, especially when he had to bargain for his life._

 _He didn't want to think about how he did it._

 _And the solution? He succeeded. True, he had succeeded by the scrapes of his hair now coated with mud, but being alive was more than enough. His feet suddenly scrabbled against the cold dirt and soil, cushioning his back and front in a snug earthly blanket. If his team had seen him with only his face scowling above the earth, the rest of his body forced to remain below, he would have been the star attraction on the office wall. Roy pushed his arms upwards and the ground erupted beneath him in a ripple of blue and gold uniform. His muscle capacity dropped to zero and he toppled to the ground, straining for breath. Oxygen was finally delivered to his damn brain._

 _Shit, the Truth!_

 _His arms were there and after shaking the dirt from his legs and patting on his abdomen for good measure, Roy thanked the miniskirt angels internally._

 _As he brushed off his uniform, deathly night swamped his vision. It was murky out tonight. And it_ had _to reek of pungent ruin. He hated to admit that his pulse had started to race._

 _But then they popped out of the earth like water erupting from a fountain, and they bobbed at the surface of this tide of mud. Close up – they were rounded lumps of mound. Far away - nothing but dots fading into bleak stars. All the same – gravestones._

 _And Roy had stumbled out of his own grave._

 _Ironic. Roy snorted. He had literally been brought back from the dead. Truth was such a cocky bastard…much like his "pious" companion._

"Fullmetal…you owe me more than money for this…"


	10. One and the Same

Blue Hour

This is the end of the first stage. *adds a dramatic pause* I'll leave you to it. Enjoy as always.

* * *

Cavatina - musically defining a soloist's shorter composition which contributes to a much larger sequence, a way to derive an individual's feelings amid the greater flow of music

Medley - a combination and mixing of other passages in a composition to create one piece, an account of separate journeys colliding into one

* * *

Chapter 10: One and the Same

 _Part I – Cavatina_

"So...you really think this will work, Brother?" The shrill voice, high of pitch, echoed around the still house. From the basement it sounded, but upon the Hill, every shudder of breath and turning of a page rang as loud as the school bell. But school was the last matter on their current mindsets.

"Of course, Al. This is a whole new theory we've created. Grown alchemists have not come close to what we have already accomplished!" Eyes glistened in the gloom and spoke with feverish excitement.

"Still, Brother..." He would not fantasize like his sibling. Nodding to himself determinedly, he internally promised to remain level-headed, and not become blinded by a scientist's imagination. His brother had slipped the moment his quill has fallen out of his hand, and Ed had started to shiver. He had risen from the desk, clutching onto the wood, silent euphoria radiating from him in the dark basement. The solitary light flickered, as though tangible electricity fluttered through the air and quivered on fractious tendrils.

"Don't give up on me now, Al! Think about how far we have come... why do you want to wait any longer?" Ed's tone was giddy, as though he was experiencing an adrenalin rush. Blood roared past his ears, and Al wondered if Ed could even hear him.

"I just mean..." Al took a deep breath. "Ed, we don't know if this will work. What if we-"

"What if what?" Ed turned with a feral snarl like a wildcat hissing through bared teeth. "What if we quit? What if we wait for _him_ to come home? When will you learn, Al... he isn't coming back for us!"

Al longed to retort against the reproachful spite of his brother. But as he watched Ed, just watched his trembling fists, dilated pupils, breathing heavily, his own anger melted away. There was no reason to argue with Ed; he was more hot-headed and volatile than Al could comprehend. He shook his head, the movement too slight for Ed to notice. Someone needed to keep an eye on his almost volcanic sibling. And that would have to be him.

For once he was grateful that he was taller than his brother. He straightened his back and looked down as the golden blond whirled towards him. As he held out his palm to which Ed's fist collided into, he grasped his fingers around the fist. "Your theory is faultless Ed. I'm only thinking about the principal..."

When his sibling remained silent, Al noticed at how Ed had paused, and his hand loosened and released from holding the table. Al held Ed's hand firmly, but he also did it gently so. His tone of voice was much the same. "Ed…"

Ed's brilliant stare softened, and Al eased his hand free from Ed's. Ever since they had returned from their training with Teacher, Ed had endeavoured to perfect this theory with their newfound knowledge. And Al had encouraged his brother... as it was Ed's only distraction from their research on resurrecting their mother. Al would be lying if he said he wasn't scared when Ed's frenzy to complete the work occupied every impulse in his body.

The theory? His research was surrounding the possibility of transmuting but the transmutation not being undergone directly afterward its activation. Al had initially been thoroughly confused, but as he paid closer attention to the cursive writing of Ed, the idea in itself was astounding. It was like transmuting a substance with an imaginary timer involved, so the transmutation delayed itself until the alchemist wanted to remotely activate their array. They had to draw their transmutation circle and implement their desired transmutation products like a usual transmutation, but until the alchemist chose to activate their array, nothing would happen.

But in a second, the array could unleash its bide of energy. The results would be instant. Fast, effective and efficient. And Al silently praised Ed's originality and simplicity for this theory's name: the Delay Transmutation.

Nevertheless, any theory yet to undergo trials was a potential for devastation. As Ed was reckless, Al was cautious. He knew the laws. All of the components that the Delay Transmutation had attributed to it added to its volatility. Anything could happen in practice.

That energy had to be sourced from somewhere. An alchemist had to tap into their own energy reserve to catalyse the tectonic energy in the ground, and only then could the transmutation occur. And this involved transmuting a person in order to obtain this energy – it was a hypothesis, but Al was only regurgitating the facts. Ed's creation could deviate into a form of human transmutation. Forbidden.

Yet…wasn't that what the brothers had been seeking since the beginning?

"Al…we can't give up now," Ed said as he stared mutely down at his completed research. They were an illusion to the furious workings of his brain hidden beneath. He was calculating Al's reasoning, the younger Elric could see, and Ed was searching for ways to bypass the lurking fact that this could be another form of human transmutation.

"There is no fundamental way for the ground to make its own energy. There has to be an equal input and an equal output. All of the energy created has to come from the alchemist. The ground cannot activate a Delay Transmutation on its own," Al pointed out the appropriate equations on the paper. Ed had to realize this was a mistake. Just this once.

Ed drifted his gaze away from Al's and started to redirect his attention to the annotations and diagrams scattered in organised chaos across the pages, and most importantly at the largest spread of paper, containing the accumulation of this research – the final transmutation circle. His eyes narrowed, squinted, and opened again, but they refused to leave the scrawls of his handwriting, as though he was clinging to that desperate hope. And his voice broke, displaying a small fraction of the longer melody that would be composed. That melody of the brothers' search, a song weaving their inevitable fate – they were searching for human transmutation. "There really is no way. Everything leads to human transmutation!"

Al shuddered as his brother nearly collapsed in a half-sob, but Ed would never cry. He maintained his composure; Ed was always so strong for him, and he could understand his brother's anguish unlike anybody ever could. "Brother..."

"I thought…if we activated an array from a distance and delayed its activation as well…we could bring her back. But it's still human transmutation!" Ed flung his arms out viciously at the research, yet before it could scatter to the floor like ashes blown away from a bonfire, Al pushed his way in front of him. "We miss her so much, Al."

"I know," Al choked. All he wanted was to snuggle into his mother's lavender dress, the greatest worry on his mind what he was going to read that night. He missed her. It hurt - a pounding and throbbing sensation inside that he could not subside.

"We'll bring her back, Al, I promise you," Ed's voice attained its usual unrelenting vigour, a burning fire amid the subtle candlelight in their basement. "There was this method…of forging a soul from blood from the living. It acts as a signpost to harness a soul from the other void, and if we transmute a body, we can bring her back! I know we can, Al!"

Except that Ed was masking the truth – everything was human transmutation. But Al desperately wanted to believe…that there was a way to bring their mother back through alchemy. They were both prodigies, and Ed was a genius at the age of ten.

They both reached for the shelves for new books, abandoning every prospect on the Delay Transmutation. But Al too had a photographic memory – he remembered the transmutation circle, etching it into his mind, before shoving the research to the back of the highest shelf on the bookcase. A heavy fog of tiredness was settling over his mind, causing his coordination to falter slightly. Ed had to catch him from falling over as he stuffed the research as far back behind the bookcase as his arms would allow.

"It will work, Al," Ed murmured as he skimmed through pages, pausing intently in the pursuit for a development in his mind's library, Al thought at Ed's focused complexion. "This is a small part of the greater whole. If we collect the fragments of knowledge together, we can unlock the key to the void. And call her back to us!"

Al smiled, and buried himself beneath his makeshift covers, books propped in an ever-increasing pile around him. It must have been late, for he yawned fitfully, seeing bright lights dance before his eyes. As he pushed the pillow around his face, blocking out the harsh illumination of those lights, he realized dimly that he was falling asleep.

The last thing he recollected was a soft laugh and his brother whispering a hushed, "Goodnight, Al." And Ed turned over to the next page of his book. Always reading, searching for that answer, like he was composing a melody for a solution to achieve their final wish. Seeing their mother's warm smile, now glints of memory waning into a hazy past.

Complete.

* * *

 _Part II - Medley_

Sunlight beamed by that riverside in Central City. My home. The only home I had ever known. And now I wanted to leave it all behind me. Elicia was kicking her legs in front of her, watching them glide through the air before they swooped beneath her, and time was surreal to us. The sun was continuing its descent in the horizon, but summer's expansive view was fathomless, and a sunset could span for an eternity. But something…felt incomplete.

For a second, I drifted back into my sub-consciousness. I imagined those eyes in my mind. They rolled and silently chastised my lack of diligence. Almost as if they were saying _of course you feel incomplete, you fool._ A voice lapsed through my contemplation.

"Elicia! Where are you?" Elicia's feet suddenly implanted into the ground and she stood up out of an automatic reflex of obedience towards her mother. At that moment, the fact that time passed retriggered in her senses, and she gasped in youthful shock. She grabbed her shoes, which had long since been deposited by the river's bank, and hurried for the pedestrian path in the direction where her mother was calling. Commuters trekking home after their enduring day at work silently cast glares at the family's fiasco, but in comparison to the morning, there were far fewer people in the city at this time in the evening. Yet for me, this was the most beautiful time to be outside.

Elicia stopped in her tracks, retying the pompoms in her hair so they would not fall out. She was several paces away, and raised her hand to wave at me. And she suddenly sprinted into my arms, becoming embraced in my Philosopher Stone's red warmth, hands pressing behind my back. "I'll see you soon! Next time, you've got to bring him as well. You're really short so you might get lost without him." She said the last part in a surprisingly mature and earnest tone.

I nodded and pushed her away from me lightly, "I have to go as well. There are some things that I have to do…"

As her mother called for Elicia again, the note clinging longer before fading away into the sunset, I waited until her form collided into a taller figure as mother and daughter were reunited. Gracia Hughes had also stopped repeating Elicia's name. Elicia was not alone, and she would never be alone.

And now…I had to follow through with my course of action.

Time was a blur as I left the river flowing behind me, the avenue of trees gushing and whispering softly in a spiral of leaves. The houses melding into military operated facilities were unnoticed as I pursued solely forward. Without hesitating to look at the sky, colours and sounds shifted to its nocturne, but I looked at my destination alone. The Fifth Laboratory. And down into the valley of piped channels lost to time and earth.

As I rummaged through the rubble of the facility's remains, searching for the hidden entrance into the lair below the city, I heard the shuffle of feet below me. A heavy, clattering sound. It had to be Envy, and now he was coming for me.

In my distraction, I failed to notice the scrutiny from a barred window several floors above the ground from the prison. Yet those eyes held not the mania of Kimblee, who would wait and whistle until his contract was sealed with the Homunculi, a man who no longer cognitively understood fear or shock. So when those eyes widened, horror emanating like a disease, I would have walked to face Envy, oblivious until…

"Edward!"

My head jolted up. I recognised that sharp tone, caring and gentle beneath her solemn demeanour. But I didn't know…I didn't know! The memories wanted to pour through me. They were trapped with me. There was no escape. My head had started to pound.

"Edward!"

"Pride!"

Two different voices called out at once to me in opposite directions. One was desperate and emotive, the other cold and absolute. And before I could react, there was a hand pulling at my hair. "How much do you know, Pride? Father is ashamed…"

Every ounce of my soul longed to obey Father. But another soul was screaming. The one that I could not abate in my Philosopher's Stone.

"Where are they? Where are Alphonse and the General?" The voice fell silent as Riza Hawkeye caught the glimpse of the black hair. And I turned to look at her as my jacket fell from my shoulders, the Ouroboros tattoo glowing and my other tattoos embracing me like a curse. This crescendo fell silent as realisation triggered in her mind. "You're not him."

Envy closed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. "I've told you humans too many times. We always win. A shame we need you alive…" And purple eyes radiated with menace.

"Edward, you have to wake up! Your brother needs you…the General needs you…"

Edward Elric?

A laugh sniggered. "You really think the pipsqueak is alive?" Envy jeered. "He's dead! Pride is the substitute for Edward Elric's soul. The moment he died, Pride replaced the void so this body wouldn't rot away. The only problem is that threads of his spirit are tangled to Pride, it was his body after all, and my little brother becomes confused. He thinks he is Edward Elric. What a bittersweet tragedy! I'll tell you now – it's all a confabulation. Pride is the only one remaining."

"No…" the voice from near the rooftop became quiet after the Homunculus' manic cry. "If you need me alive…I must be a hostage, especially if I'm here. Alphonse, Edward and the General…must be alive too!"

Envy clapped his hands. "Right and wrong, lady. But don't make conclusions. You just sit snugly in your cell."

"I will end this madness if necessary."

"But if he's alive, you won't, will you? You humans are too weak. Small little bugs that need to be squashed."

My head was pounding, but it was fuelling me with strength. I shook Envy's hand off my shoulder and glared at him. "Who are you calling a bug?" The words took a full minute to resonate in the warm surroundings, but they were frigid, chilling, a ghost to light.

"Pride…"

"I know what you did to that man. Maes Hughes. You shot him in the chest with two bullets. You kept one and labelled it in a bag and pinned it onto your wall." Envy shuddered, teeth gritted, his swagger confidence faltering. An unspoken question burned in his eyes. _How do you know?_

 _"And don't you dare follow me again."_

Alive and dead, I turned away to face a future I did not understand. East, away from the sunset. The Moon's eye shone down upon me, granting me no answer to my question.

Where are we going from here?

* * *

 _I'll be editing these chapters still, but you know, it has been nearly a month. I'm going to continue to edit these chapters, but I'll be updating again! Yay! The next chapter will be up soon :D_


	11. As Far As We Go

Blue Hour

Woo Blue's being updated! It has been nearly a month... One day less than a month, I think, but still less than a month, and I'm so happy to continue with this story!

Right, I need to organize my life, so I'll leave this A/N here. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 11: As Far As We Go

Looking into the Sun was not a comfort. It burnt.

I was staggering towards the Sun rising in the distant horizon, trudging ever slowly east. It had been three days since I had left the outskirts of Central.

My stomach panged, but I ignored its requests for supplements. I let my Stone supply the energy that I needed.

I pushed away my bangs to see the sun rise fully. After trekking for a day through dense woodland, I had reached its edge, and over yawning fields in the horizon, I could see the unmistakable structures of buildings. There weren't many like in Central, so I suspected this to be a smaller town.

It was surrounded by flatly covered fields and the odd woodland as well as the prominent railway which journeyed both west and east from the town. Apart from that, it appeared to be a quaint and quiet country town.

When I had arrived at a town so far, I had skirted the outside of it, and journeyed on, following both the railway line and the fiery golden orb beginning to warm up the skies – it must have been around midmorning. This time however, I had to change the stolen clothes I had brought with me. And even though my Stone regenerated my body every few hours, there was no disguising the eye bags carved like shadows beneath my eyes, as well as the knotted hair and prominent bony jawline. I had seen them as a reflection in a river.

I had spent so much time pondering over my fractured mind that I had forgotten about my body.

Before I departed the forest, I sat on a hollow log and began to part loose strands of my hair to make it look presentable. It was strange – this body had recently belonged to someone named "Edward Elric". I understood what the strange thoughts in my mind were - they were his rash and reckless thoughts - which had clouded my judgement.

The memories were formed from loose strands of spirit that belonged to this person. His soul had died, but his body lived, and the severed spirit, bound now to my Philosopher's Stone, was the only reason which stopped this body from decomposing and passing into the clutches of death. Even if his spirit was only in fragments, they were powerful enough to make me say things I didn't intend to say, and react in ways I wouldn't usually have reacted in.

Those were only a few of the conclusions I had reached while dwelling in my thoughts. All I had needed to do was stop and _think_ .

Father and my other siblings had not decided to follow me. Gluttony should have easily been able to pick up my trail. Even now, it was a fight not to return to Father and apologise for my disobedience. Every fibre in my body was trying to drag me back the way I came, and that was the almost scientific attraction between my Philosopher's Stone and Father's. We had been the same being not too long ago.

They would all be disappointed with me, especially Envy. He did despise humans, but his sharp tongue and bossy manner were what made Envy, Envy. But he had lied to me, disguised the truth from me.

My deadly sin was Pride. I had arrogance within me, and returning yet again to the chambers below Central to beg at the knees of Father would have been an act of cowardice. And I was curious. Who was I? Was I Pride or just a puppet controlled by Father? Was I Edward Elric?

"Envy thinks I'm Pride. Kimblee thinks I'm Edward Elric. But even I don't know who I am…" I said aloud. Birds and other woodland creatures whistled and chattered back in the light summer's breeze.

I had tried to connect with my Philosopher's Stone, and find out more about Edward's strand of spirit and see if I could access anymore memories. No matter how hard I tried to slip into that meditative state to communicate with the souls in my Stone, I couldn't focus enough. All I could think back to was the man Roy Mustang, and he was entirely useless in this process.

I assumed that Hawkeye had not been lying – Edward did have a brother called Alphonse. Hawkeye was an acquaintance to Roy Mustang and to Edward and his brother. I remembered the random visions of the countryside which had slipped away like long-lost dreams. The further east I travelled, the more the surroundings resembled the surroundings as in my visions. They were my only lead, and so I was continuing to travel east.

But apart from that, there was little that I knew.

These were my decisions. Not Father's. Not Envy's. Not Edward's. Only mine.

My body was beginning to ache on the log, and so I stretched out my arms and legs, pulled the sleeves down on my clothes to disguise my tattoos, and left the forest to journey to the waiting town beyond.

* * *

Roy stumbled on the spot and rubbed himself down thoroughly. He wanted to have a shower to soak that dirt away so badly. But aside from the graves surrounding him, he was in the middle of nowhere. Past the lines of graves, there were countless hills, sheep, farmers, and did he mention sheep?

So. Many. Sheep.

Luckily, Roy was acquainted with this area particularly well. He knew he was in the East Area; there was no other place in Amestris, let alone the world, that was home to so many sheep so that the ground looked like a snowy blanket from their fluffy wool. He scented the air and grimaced in disgust at the all too familiar smell. Yes…this _definitely_ was the countryside.

Too much information.

The sun was climbing into the sky – midmorning Roy assumed. By now he would have usually consumed his fifth cup of coffee on a particularly bad day. But of course yesterday had been terrible - terrible enough that he couldn't make an amusing joke about it. He hadn't even had one drop of caffeine. For Roy, the world had ended.

Shrugging his addiction to the side of his thoughts, Roy's mind drifted to his team. He hoped they were alright. They were probably worried about him, or having the party of their lives now that their superior officer clearly wasn't at work. Well, all except Hawkeye, but they needed at least one adult in the group to keep their actions in moderation.

Roy imagined her reloading her guns and practicing at the targets. She hit the vital marks every time without a doubt. He shuddered, wishing that when they next saw each other, Hawkeye grip on the trigger didn't slip on accident, and injured Roy enough so she could monitor him day and night. Damn, where were those angels when he needed them!

What would be worse – having Hawkeye as a babysitter for eternity or five minutes with Fullmetal? That was a very hard decision indeed.

Roy smirked. What had happened yesterday had been like a dream. He wasn't sure it had even happened. He surely hoped he had had far too much alcohol to drink, and suffocated himself in the ground in his inebriated state of mind. But some niggling doubt told him that yesterday had been no dream…

He had died. Or he thought he had died, for he remembered awful pain, and so much blood. He also remembered seeing Envy the Homunculus…then there was a bright white light and he had entered a portal of the same radiating white…he remembered the giant Gate that stood guarding the knowledge of alchemy. Most of all, he remembered a figure slumped over him, sobbing over Roy's unmoving form. He wasn't sure, but Roy thought he remembered Ed crying over him.

But Roy had never seen Fullmetal shed a tear. That was why he thought everything was a dream. _Fullmetal…_ Roy couldn't help but sigh internally as he stared back at his imaginary grave.

His head suddenly looked up. He suddenly recognised where he was. How could he have forgotten? He was in the quiet hometown of Resembool, where the Elric brothers had been raised.

Roy had been in a carriage with Hawkeye years ago, looking to recruit more alchemists (the numbers of State Alchemists had obviously seriously plummeted after the Ishvalan Extermination Campaign). On the top of his list of potential recruits was Van Hohenheim. But next on the list were the names of two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, who could perform very complex forms of alchemy, which even rivalled some aspects of Roy's knowledge. Little had he known that these brothers were ten and eleven.

How much had changed since then.

Roy thought fondly to the heated arguments that he would have with the elder Elric every time he set foot in his office.

Even though Fullmetal had never grown (or hardly at all), he had matured from the naïve child searching for the fabled Philosopher's Stone to becoming a legend himself. Not through power or strength, but by his ability to see people for who they were and that everyone had hidden secrets; you had to accept a person despite their flaws.

And at the age of seventeen, supposedly, even if his growth was stunted, Fullmetal had…changed. Their arguments were less heated, and Roy even considered that Fullmetal was hinting about something. When Fullmetal had been promoted to a Colonel, he would throw Roy the occasional teasing look beneath his ever-present scowl. Their arguments had become almost amusing, but Roy knew that any onlooker would assume that Flame and Fullmetal were fighting as usual.

Roy was standing, bathed in dirt, in the place where everything had started. Back in Resembool. A wave of nostalgia hit him, and it was more painful to him than being dragged through the portal yesterday. He didn't know if his team and the Elrics were safe. And until he was sure, he wouldn't be able to rest easily.

Next to the gates to the small-scale cemetery, the country path wound to Roy's right up a sloping hill. If his intuition could be trusted, that would take him up to the Rockbell's house. Even though he wanted to take a left and hurry to the train station, he couldn't allow the public to see a bedraggled General stumbling around a country town. The Homunculi had targeted him. They assumed he was dead. He couldn't risk raising suspicion.

The Rockbells held a permanent grudge against the military, and through that, they held a grudge against Roy. He had been part of the reason the Rockbell doctors had been dragged away from their peaceful lives to join the bloodshed of Ishval. So when he had arrived at their door six years ago searching for the Elric brothers to drag them away to join the military, it was understandable that they held a deep resentment towards him.

Still, he had no choice now. He had to trust them – they were friends of Fullmetal. After all, it was them or the Homunculi, and he had had quite enough of those immortal bastards for a lifetime. Reluctantly, he turned right and started to ascend the gently sloping hill. A military decorated general covered in dirt briskly walking through the countryside. Of course he wasn't mad…

He sighed and slowly trudged his way up the hill. Before long, he could see the faint stream of smoke rising from the distance. And ever so gradually, the rest of the Rockbell house revealed itself to him, as though it was being spat out by the earth. The unmistakable sign of "Automail" confirmed his thoughts – this was definitely where the Rockbells lived.

There was no escape now. He climbed up to the porch and tapped lightly on the door. A dog started to bark simultaneously from within the house.

Roy waited on the doorstep as he listened to the dog be hushed by an old female voice. There were footsteps gradually approaching the door.

 _Fullmetal – well done for dragging me into this mess. I can't get away from this madness, no matter how hard I try to escape from it. As far as we go, Ed, there never seems to be an end to it._

An incredibly short woman answered the door a moment later, a pipe hanging from the side of her mouth, and a black and white dog standing by her side. She looked him up and down, surprise evident in her cunning eyes. "Well well, what do we have here?"


	12. Tales of a Legend

Blue Hour

When was the last time I updated a longer chapter? Wow, I'm so glad that I could get this finished today :D By the way, do you guys prefer shorter more frequent updates or longer chapters?

Thank you for the reads and support for Blue! You're all amazing :)

A warning, we're getting more into the RoyEd part of the story from now on. The story summary and this A/N have warned you!

Please enjoy!

 _*Prologue has been added to the start of chapter 1! I hope it gives some context for the story :D *_

* * *

Chapter 12: Tales of a Legend

The town had a quaint feel to it. As opposed to the towering buildings which had dotted throughout Central, here the rural countryside had taken command of its people; the majority were farmers or depended upon the land around them to continue about their quiet living. But I was surprised that one small town could be such a lively, _happy_ place.

It had taken me the majority of the morning to hike across the fields to the town. The land had played tricks on my mind, so that a mere hour's walk gradually turned into hours of grudging. For any mortal human the requirements of rest and hydration would have forced them to stop. I could have obeyed my body's requests. And again I ignored them and felt my Stone sadly deplete to fuel my energy.

All that I knew was that I had to keep moving and get as far away from the Homunculi as I could. And of course there was the light matter of having an enigma about this body's past to unravel. Before I could move forward, I had to take a step back. One step backwards, two steps forwards.

However, even my body could only withstand such a pace for so long. By the time the sun was setting in the horizon and I had reached the gates entering the town, I felt more like Sloth than I did Pride. Standing at the gates, I realized that there were no military personnel guarding the entrance to the town – in fact, I couldn't see any people on the street in the hazy evening sunlight.

I shrugged my jacket over my shoulders and pulled the sleeves down to ensure nobody would detect my tattoos, and I inhaled deeply steeping lightly over the threshold between the wilderness and civilisation.

These clothes were tatty; with the purse included with this jacket, I glanced from left to right at the shops in the main market square. Most of the stalls were closed, the doors locked and windows barred, while others were open with the gentle waft of cooked bread coming from one door, sweet perfume coming from another. I walked towards the sunset, which led to the eastern entrance to the town. There was the occasional bleat of a sheep echoing from the distance, along with the familiar scents of the country. Light was beginning to fade like a ghost retreating to the shadows, and I gazed up to the setting sun, almost lapping up all of its hope and warmth.

And as suddenly as the sun rises, it was gone. Swift shadows chased the remaining drops of sunlight and the world was spun like a web into a gentle darkness. Lanterns and lamps flickered on, winking like stars along the street to the market square. I was in awe of this beauty, as if I was witnessing a hidden treasure from a fantasy story.

The light was beautiful… This place seemed familiar.

Without any success of my first march through the town, I retraced my steps and kept a more vigilant eye out for a clothing shop. Before I had moved ten paces, a sign drooped from a building to my right, with a sewing needle almost stitched onto its wooden frame. My body moved towards the shop before I could navigate it with my mind, as if it knew which way to go, like some buried instinct which had just awoken.

There was a creak of a door frame moving and a bell chime as the door closed behind the owner. She was tall for a woman, and had a shawl wrapped around her head. I approached her cautiously, internally despising how she was inches taller than me. She looked around as she heard my shoes scrape into the cobbled path below.

"I'm sorry, I'm just closing up for the night!" she shook her head and beamed in earnest apology.

"Could you allow me five minutes?" I queried, and she laughed in response.

"Such a formal young man! Although I have to admit, when I saw those golden locks of yours, I thought you were a country lass! Must be going blind in my elderly age," the woman chuckled again. But I was blushing – she had thought…

I had not been expecting _that._

"Well, just this once. I take it you're a visitor? I don't seem to recognise you, even though you look very familiar to someone we all know around here," she trailed off and hesitantly moved her keys in the lock so the door swung open once again. "What is it you'll need today? I am running short on trousers; nobody seems to want to wear them in the warm weather…"

It was summer. It must have been late then. But it also meant that evening would linger for several hours before finally surrendering to the darkness.

She pointed at different items (which I noted to be the most expensive she had on display) but after taking my measurements like a mother would her child and noticed my tatty clothing, she quickly moved to the more affordable items on selection. She was ushering me through some jackets, her fingers gliding along the hangers, when she paused, "What's your name? I haven't even had the manners to ask you that!"

I racked my brains for the information that Envy had told me.

A part of my mind refuted to the idea of using something Envy had given me, even if it was but a name to use as a false alias. _Don't use that name! What if Envy is lurking around the area? If he recognises a name and an appearance, he might know that I'm here!_

The more rational side of my mind answered to logic. _If Father was trying to find you, Envy would have been able to capture you a long time ago. Almost all of the Homunculi are currently in Central!_

I realized the seamstress was waiting for an answer. "George…just George," I said politely and diverted her attention by grabbing a jacket from the rack and announcing, "I'll take this one."

The woman with her blue eyes looked at me for a moment, and the choice of clothing I was clutching in my hands. And then her gaze returned back to me. "Are you sure this is the one you want?"

"Yes," I answered swiftly and confidently, but my pulse was beginning to rise. Had I acted suspiciously? Did she recognise me for who I was?

"I never thought that a radiant orange and pink jacket would be your choice," she said. My head turned to look at the jacket. True to her word, it was orange and pink. Not only orange and pink, but the brightest neon shade of orange and pink. My heart shuddered.

She smiled wolfishly and took the jacket from me. I interrupted her and reached for the next jacket along the shelf. "No this is the one I want." _Anything better than the pink._

"Hmmm. That one. Out of all of my collection, you had to choose that one," she whispered, half to herself, and carried the jacket to the counter to add up the total of my expenses. She wouldn't make eye contact with me and folded all of the items hastily before putting them into a bag. She paused at the jacket, and began to rub the fabric tenderly. "I named this one: A Legend Arises."

"A strong name," I commented, curious about such a unique name.

"It was the one he chose. The one who resembles you greatly, George. If it wasn't for your flesh arm and leg, I would wonder if you were playing a trick on my poor soul." She gazed out of the window, her hand still resting on the jacket, as though it had a heartbeat. She then shook her head and pushed it into the bag, as though burying a deeper memory than ones of my own past.

She smiled at me and handed me the bag as I handed her several notes in exchange. She then turned off the lights in her little shop and together we departed for the market square. "Today is a special occasion we commemorate each year," she said cheerfully, all of her past wistfulness having dissolved like mist on a warm summer's morning. "It's the Honour of Heroes Festival. Well, you cannot call it a festival. We walk down to the brook on the northern side of the town and hold a silent vigil for an hour before sunset, unless you're older like me, when lighting a candle here will suffice. We come back and light fireworks in the evening, where we sing songs around a campfire, and remember the heroes that have touched our town and our hearts."

She spoke half to me and half to the night air, as if she was remembering someone she considered to be a hero. "First though, I'm going home to change. I'll probably see you later, George if you're here to stay for the evening!"

Before she left, the woman, whose name I finally found out was Rosa, pointed out a good restaurant to me which also served as an inn. I shrugged the bag over my back and briskly walked to the inn's entrance, where a hum of atmosphere seemed to emanate from inside. My eyes widened at the uproar of people that were inside, young children chasing each other around their parent's feet, and young couples enjoying a drink before the evening's events began. In the corner, there was a lonely table which I slipped into, my shoulders rigid and my body tense; I had never been around so many people alone.

I closed my eyes and held my breath, willing my nerves to calm. A part of me however longed to dance to the music crackling from the radio in the corner of the bar. But the antisocial side won. Hours appeared to pass before the busy bartender bustled through the crowd of people and rushed up to serve me. I had no idea what to ask for. So I said the first thing that came into my mind. "Apple pie, please. Oh, and a room for one for the night."

The bartender looked oddly at me but after I fished around in my purse, thinking I had to pay the man now, he shook his head and quickly answered. "Of course, sir. We only have one room vacant, luckily for you… And you can pay the bill once you have enjoyed your meal." He bowed hurriedly and jogged to the bar counter to give the orders to the chef.

I sat back and leaned into my chair. The table had a candle burning, its wax melting onto a plate below. I allowed my mind to drift to the gentle chatter of people around me, listening disinterested to the words tumbling from their mouths, listening to the children play, listening to the commentator announce the latest news, a brief interlude to the music. A song started to play moments later with a merry tune which had the patrons of the bar tapping their feet in delight, mouthing the words. It seemed like after the solidarity of the day, they were celebrating the aftermath.

I immersed into their joy like I did in the streets of Central. It was almost like I could feel their warmth and light. Reality held clutches over people so long as they were bound by it. But for the first time in what felt like years, I let those chains drop to the floor. My feet had started to tap on the ground to the music before a tangy smell hit my senses.

Upright once again, I watched as the bartender, who seemed the only member of staff present in the front of the building, carried the apple pie on a plate in his hand. He deposited the meal on the table and hoped that I would enjoy my meal. I stared at the furls of smoke rising from the piping hot pie. I watched the people next to me, and picked up the fork in my left hand, the knife in my right. The pie seemed to slice in half without so much as touching it; suddenly it looked so fragile and delicate.

I paused and marvelled the pie's simplicity yet wonderful smell. It smelt of the countryside, of apple trees blowing in the breeze, ripening under the spring sun. It smelt of cider, and the wonderful evenings where one would sit quietly and watch the sun set, sipping at their sweet drink. It smelt of home.

The first mouthful reached my tongue. Flavours spiralled in my mouth. I swallowed the first bite faster than I could chew. I hadn't eaten in days; so I was ravenous. As soon as the lingering taste in my mouth had faded, I looked down to see the wedge I had removed from the pie. And for some reason, a part of me wanted to cry.

Let it out…

But I couldn't. Reality could just be a wayward memory.

* * *

"Well well, what do we have here," the miniature little bean of a woman snidely remarked, while her canine companion barked by her side. Roy shrugged his shoulders more proudly than he anticipated.

"Dying?" he said mockingly. It was the truth after all. Like hell anyone would believe him. He knew the endeavour was pointless – better to turn around now and walk away with his head held high. "I'm sorry for the intrusion, Mrs Rockbell. Please send my regards to Winry."

He suddenly stopped. Winry and Fullmetal had been best friends. Roy wasn't quite sure how the brat had accomplished such a feat, but he had remained friends with the automail mechanic for years since their childhood. She didn't know what had happened…He hadn't even given it a second thought…

What a selfish ass he was.

"Actually, Mrs Rockbell. There's something I have to tell you in confidence. Could you pass it through to Winry as quickly as possible?" Roy said seriously, and the elderly woman sucked on her pipe hard and closed her eyes firmly, as though she was debating something. He saw her lips quiver as she muttered something quietly to herself. Suddenly, her steely grey eyes shot open.

"I can see liars better than I can see my pipe," she muttered. "Years of betting have at least paid off this way. And I can tell you're not lying." She then smacked the end of her pipe into his knee, right at where the funny bone was. Roy yelped in protest. "So how can you accomplish dying and still be alive? Hmm?"

She didn't give the General a chance to answer before she turned on the spot and entered her house. "Come on in. But if you expect me to make a drink for you, you can turn around and sleep in the cemetery for the night!"

 _You wouldn't believe that I already have,_ Roy laughed to himself before following Pinako Rockbell into her authentic countryside home. Even though she had the appearance of a decrepit bat, she could move fast. She was in the front room before he could think "transmute". He had to admit that he longed to go into the kitchen as he saw it further down the hallway turning off to the left of the house.

The front room was lit by the morning sunshine, but was fumigated with smoke coming from a certain tobacco enthusiast smoking deeply at her pipe in the corner on her chair as though trying to push away the effects of a tedious headache.

Roy couldn't sit down – he knew that as soon as he did weakness and fatigue would take over his body and it would be nearly impossible to stand up again. He was as caffeine dependent as ever. He positioned himself by the window at an angle so he could see the porch to the front of the house, and the winding country road he had trudged up. Now a spot in the distance, the cemetery sparkled in the morning light too, blending into the serene rural landscape. Roy had so many memories here, and the majority of these he wasn't pleased with at all. However the more recent, and precious, memories lingered at the forefront of his mind and brought an odd comfort to him. They were from his illusive weekend visits to Resembool…just memories…swimming in the past…now that several months had lapsed it was like they were all a dream…but an illusion…the happiness he had felt…and love.

Bliss. Pure bliss. He had to hold onto those memories as reality. If he held onto those fragments of the past, he could endure any kind of hell that Truth had proposed for him in the future.

"So, are you going to enlighten me or not?" Pinako growled like a feral animal, and as if being summoned, the dog marched into the room and watched Roy by her side. She blew out more smoke rings than a steam train could produce in a minute.

Roy realized his attention had drifted like clouds as he had gazed out of the window. He couldn't tell her…it would be too heart-breaking. Every time, it was him who had to deliver the news.

He had to write the letter telling the Rockbell family that the doctors, Winry's parents had died. And he had been the one to first find out about Hughes. Having to break the news to his team had been the definition of agony. Again. He had to break hearts…all over again! His own heart was breaking too.

But he had too. For the memories in Resembool. For the times he held onto more dearly than any other. The faintest trace of a smile crossed his lips. _I can imagine you now, Fullmetal. Scolding me for telling Pinako this. You would have shouldered the burden for Al. Let me shoulder it for you this once. I won't forget the memories. I promise. There is still so much more for me to give. So much more for me to love…_ "Ed…"

Roy shuddered, realizing the grey-flint eyes of Pinako were boring into his soul. He had to give his explanation now otherwise he would be kicked out of the house for sure; he didn't underestimate the strength the elderly granny possessed. And he wouldn't want to get on her bad side. He knew that he was only here to pass on some information. Pinako wouldn't care in the slightest what had happened to Roy. Only her adopted grandsons.

"Mrs Rockbell, have you heard of the Blue Hour?" Roy started. She looked up perplexed – he had obviously caught her attention.

"I'm not familiar with it," she stated, but her tone was inquisitive, no longer scolding.

"It's the hour after sunset," Roy gestured outside, knowing perfectly well it was morning. He cast the picture of Resembool at Blue in his mind. "Time seems to come to a standstill. The birds are all silent, and the breeze drops to nothing. The sky is a mirage of colour. Dying embers of the Sun to the west, and the silvery ghost of the moon rising in the east. Grass smells of fresh dew; the fences of sodden wood. But it's warm…so warm."

"And what has this got to do with anything?" Pinako snapped, losing her already thin patience.

"Everything." Roy whispered.

* * *

I never would have thought that the heavens could paint the sky in such an intricate way before. It was like an artist had splashed a palette of colour across the sky and concocted a masterpiece through pure coincidence. It was like every shade in the world had come out from their hiding place to add to the wonder to the darkening night. Velvets and pinks and blues and purples lighted the heavens, and the stars were beginning to shine up above too.

In the market square, a bonfire had been lit. Its roaring flames cast shadows of silhouettes dancing, as though the spirits of the past had returned to reality through the power of fire. The air had a mystic feel to it. I was sitting on a bench next to a small child called James, and Rosa was to my right. She was inspecting the sky too. "Hmm, seems that the Blue Hour is ending already."

"What is that?" I asked. My body was full and content with apple pie. A Philosopher's Stone meal substitute couldn't appease my stomach's interests anymore. I wanted to fall asleep right now. But I was absorbed by the reverence surrounding the town, as the Honour of Heroes Festival ended with the night's magic. _The Blue Hour. How do I know about that?_

I shrugged and buried deeper into my jacket, feeling cold all of a sudden, even though there was a blazing fire before my eyes. A haunted and chilling sensation crossed through my body. I felt like I was forgetting something very important.

Rosa was about to answer my question when someone coughed and spoke. It was the bartender, called Winston. He had changed from his work uniform into a suit, and Rosa too, was dressed as though she was attending a ceremony. Everyone sitting around the fire except for the children and I were in formal attire.

"Thank you everyone for coming. Every year, we celebrate the heroes of this nation from the past and present, but also the heroes who have touched our hearts. There are many who have come and gone from this town, and even fewer who leave a lasting impression. Those who do will be hailed by this ceremony for all of time." There was a murmur of agreement from the town members before they fell into silence again.

"We have had many requests for this year's Tale of the Legend. For the newcomers and youngsters, each year we tell the tale of one particular hero and celebrate their legacy over our lives. Rosa came to me this evening and told me that one of our guests here tonight reminds her of one of our heroes. So in honour of the one who saved this town from ruin, this year's story will be the one of the People's Alchemist. The one alchemist who was there for the people of this town even when hope had abandoned us - Edward Elric!"

My eyes widened in surprise. Rosa grinned next to me, and suddenly the eyes of the crowd were on me. I was about to hear the tale of the one who had inhabited this body last.

Edward Elric.

"Our town, a quiet place outside of the city was threatened two years ago by our own military," Winston's rumbling voice echoed. "They wanted to build an outpost here and in the process wreck the beautiful land which our ancestors took generations to reap. The leader of this nation would not listen to his people. We had to take action on our own accord. Of course we despised the idea of rioting and protesting, which could have a severe penalty on us all, but if that was the only way to save our town, then that was the sacrifice we were willing to make.

"We spoke to the generals in the East Area. None of them would listen. There was the same response from the generals in Central. All of them followed the same chain of command from the Fuhrer, and obeyed their commands with absolute obedience. And one of the most obedient, one of the dogs of the military, a State Alchemist, was assigned with the fast rebuilding of this town.

"We were powerless against a State Alchemist. The few alchemists in this town struggle to fix a hoe (sorry Albert!). He came before we had the chance to blink on his own with his armoured brother to assist. The Fullmetal Alchemist, aged sixteen. A legend at the age of twelve, becoming the youngest to qualify as a State Alchemist ever. He had power running through his fingertips, this boy, we assumed, this child.

"He came to inspect our town. He spoke to the people with little interest. He ate our food, slept in our homes, stamped his way through our fields. He walked around our home like he owned the place. The next day, he informed us that he would be returning tomorrow, and if we had not vacated the town by noon, he would be forced to act.

"Why would we leave? We had fought this far. It wouldn't be for no avail. So he returned with the military at his back. Fifty soldiers at least. We stood at the gates to our town, ready to fight. He walked up towards us, smirked wryly, and turned around before clapping his hands together. The power of alchemy erupted from the earth like a volcano bursting. But its force landed upon the military, like the earth had melted to become a sea. His brother walked up to us, apologising for the worry he had had to cause. It was necessary to bring the military here, especially if we townsfolk were anticipating a fight.

"The military never returned again. And all that Edward Elric asked in return was a jacket from our dear Rosa. The Legend Arises."

As Winston concluded his tale, everyone turned around once again.

I had the jacket on. It was lined with oranges, golds, reds and yellows. It was fashioned to look like a rippling wave of molten sunlight striding across the fabric. It shone now against the dancing flames. It was empowering. And it suited my pride perfectly.


	13. I'm Coming for You

Blue Hour

13 chapters of Blue. I'm still in shock ever since I finished writing this chapter. We're two chapters away from where the original idea for this story started, and I can't believe we're so close to it. This may sound confusing now, but when we get to that chapter, I'll explain what this idea was. I can't do that yet of course, because that would be a spoiler :)

I just want to clarify (and please correct me if I'm wrong!) but the time from Pride's birth up until this point has been eight days. Roy's story is place eight days later after Pride's birth too and so their stories are now occurring at the same time.

Please enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 13: I'm Coming for You

Darkness was the world riddled in lies and secrets, which even the Sun's rays could not break through. He was a creature of that darkness, and he would never change this fact for anything in his world. To him, purity was a sin, a sin for meddling with the world of light.

Father hadn't sent Envy on a mission since the eventful shenanigans at the Central State Prison, where Pride had evidently had his first true feeling of freedom and had reached his rebellious teenage phase a little too early. Envy sighed - he had seen this all before. Greed had run away, but he had been dragged back to Father's lair a century later. Pride would find his way back.

Envy was carrying the empty plates after feeding the majorly empty cells which contained several chimeras, a Homunculus and the latest edition to their ratty collection, Mustang's dog, Lieutenant Hawkeye. He enjoyed taunting their "guests", considering the significantly better situation he was in than them. Hopefully Father would send him on a genocide mission – that would be good. It had been too long since he had tasted the sweetness of victory like in the Ishvalan Civil War.

His old man was being as surly as ever, if not more so than his usual enigmatic trance. Lust was away with Gluttony, Greed was entombed, Wrath was ruling and Sloth was by no means good company. If this depression kept up, Envy threatened to become bored. But he would sit in his room and plot his next victim to the Ultimate Form; he would play with the pins in his fingers and throw then at the pictures of his victims straight through their paper hearts. There were blank spaces on the map that he yearned to fill. And then he would continue to twiddle the pins as though they were merely loose strands of dead hair.

Wandering out of his trance, he realized that he was back at the throne room. He remembered Edward Elric dying and watching Pride been born. His younger sibling had appeared to be blank and confused on the surface, but beneath, Envy could sense a torrent of emotion, buried too deeply for Pride to be aware of all of the time. Those were both the arrogance that Pride possessed, and the remnants of the spirit of the Fullmetal Alchemist, which only survived to bind Pride's otherwise foreign soul to the body.

Pride…Envy was thinking about that brat again. Pride had chosen to leave. But perhaps because Envy had been Pride's mentor, he reluctantly had a bond with his younger brother. Pride knew about Maes Hughes, that atrociously loyal family man and Envy had disguised as his wife to shoot the fool. He still had one of the two bullets hanging up on his wall. That had been a good day.

But the last words that Pride had said as he had walked away towards the rising moon after accusing Envy of the killing he had done. Hawkeye had called out to Pride, but his brother had seemed oblivious to the world as he walked towards the moon, as if summoned by some mysterious hypnotic power that it possessed. He had then spoken, but Pride had said it so softly, that the blond Homunculus most probably had not registered that he had said it out aloud. " _Where are we going from here?"_

Envy had been thinking about it for the past days that Pride had been away. Who were the "we"?

He placed a loose hand on the door leading to the throne room and watched as it slowly peeled its way open. Father was reading from the same tattered journal, alchemic experiments taking place on the table beside him. Envy dumped the tray on the nearest surface, and the clattering of the tray caused Father to look up.

"Father, we need Pride back to complete the Final Stage," Envy said without a hint of hesitation in his voice.

"That is what I have been thinking about, Envy. As long as he is in the boundary of the circle that should be sufficient…"

"Alchemy draws its power from the centre! He needs to be here at the centre of the circle with us to harness the full power and potential of your plans," and Envy realized that he was willing to give Father the credit without a second thought, and for that reason, he could never be Pride. Envy always held his head high and looked down upon human as lower lifeforms, but a human based Homunculus could do this with far more ease than Envy could. Was he also…jealous towards Pride?

Father closed his thick tome and started to scratch his beard in absent thought. His eyes gained that far-fetched look of a scientist trying to make a success of their reactions. Father sighed and resumed reading his book; he had evidently already come to a conclusion. "You must retrieve Pride, Envy. It is evident he does not want to return on his own accord."

Envy grinned the menace's smile and picked up the tray from the floor while impersonating a mock bow, leaving Father to his never-ending ponderings. Pride had followed the rising moon when he had left; Envy had no doubt that Pride would be pursuing that trail east. That was where he would begin his search.

He stormed through the closest tunnel leading to the surface which would lead him to Central Command, the passageway that Wrath used the most. It would be easy to disguise as his military allies to get through the compound, and once he made it through, he would disguise as a civilian and catch the first train east.

A confused, wandering blond Homunculus was going to attract attention. Pride would be more than easy to find.

This was going to be simpler than shooting that simpering fool Maes Hughes.

* * *

Roy had to do it. He had to tell Pinako the truth, but it was going to hurt like an infected wound. She had the right to kill him after she knew everything. Or Roy didn't have to do it. Either way, it was his choice, and one that he alone could make.

He thought he was mute from the world for a moment while he drifted in his thoughts. He noticed Pinako breathe at her pipe, as though she was inhaling the smoke and how the dog's tail was thumping gently on the carpet. But Roy couldn't hear it. And that was why he didn't hear the rushed patter of feet coming down the stairs and the door burst open on its hinges.

"Ms Rockbell, I-" Roy started but he suddenly felt a force shake his shoulders and his temporary deafness snapped out of existence.

"Colonel. General. You," the younger Rockbell family member Winry snapped, breathing deeply, her face red. "Shit, I don't care what you call yourself. Are they missing? We haven't heard from them in a long time, and an unusually long time. You were with them last. Just…tell me." _Tell me that Ed and Al are safe._

Roy would have averted her gaze and intimidate deep thought, despite they being nothing to think about. Winry Rockbell had a strong barrier hiding her emotions, but they were peeking through; she was stiffened and rigid, her eyes were desperate and her hands were shaking. He didn't want to do it. Fuck, _he didn't want to do it._

He didn't want to break anymore hearts.

He released a weary sigh, not one of boredom and tiredness, but at the cruelty of the world. He was fed up its complacent attitude towards pain. His voice was shaky. "I don't know, Miss Rockbell."

That was all Roy could say. How pathetic.

"Granny, can I get it?" Winry turned to her grandmother, who nodded in mutual agreement. Roy had no clue what was going on. He saw Winry stride out of the room and step down to the ground and removed a loose floorboard. She reached downwards and pulled out a dusty bottle of alcohol.

Roy must have stared and raised an imaginary eyebrow, but Winry rolled her eyes and said, "I'm not a child anymore, you know. What I'm doing is perfectly legal."

He had to admit he thought he was going to get a sip. But Winry rushed out again and retrieved a bag which she dumped the bottle into. Time moved faster than a river. She threw a wad of money and supplies into the bag, and heaved a case containing automail maintenance out of nowhere. There was a photograph framed on the windowsill with three children and their parents all together. She stared at it and whispered, "I'm coming for you both."

Roy didn't think he was supposed to hear that. Winry rounded on him, her eyes a torrent of emotions. "And you…"

She looked down and muttered something even quieter, "Thanks for being there for them. You're not a bad person, Roy Mustang." And she added in a teasing tone. "I'm sure Ed appreciates that too, General."

The General deadpanned. Winry dragged him out of the room like he was being abducted. "The next train leaves at midday. We don't have any time to wait. Honestly, all of you men are useless…"

"Wait, Winry," Pinako interjected. "The man looks like he slept in dirt last night."

"But we have to find them, Granny. They wouldn't rest until they found us," Winry replied certainly.

"Hrmph. Stubborn twit – open your eyes. He's on the point of collapsing," Pinako waved her pipe until it pointed at Roy. He became acutely aware of the pangs in his stomach, his gaunt frame and the hairs on his chin. It wasn't like he had missed one day of shaving – but _weeks._

How was that possible? One moment he had been in the lair of the Homunculi beneath Central, and the next he had woken up in a grave in Resembool.

But during that time, he had been trapped in that hellish white portal. Truth must have trapped him in the portal for a length of time.

"What is the date?" Roy blurted. No, the last that he remembered, hours had passed since he has seen Fullmetal. It couldn't have been longer.

"3rd July."

No…

He had last seen Fullmetal on the 25th June. Eight days couldn't have passed. Anything could have happened in that time.

Truth was probably sneering at him from their radiating white void.

* * *

I awoke to the second most delicious smell after apple pie. Light was filtering through the closed curtains next to the bed and my clothes were hastily deposited at the end of the bed.

I remembered the familiarity everyone had seemed to share yesterday as they had stared at me, wondering how I could not be Edward Elric. They must have thought that he had had a brother unspoken about, which was me. But according to Winston, our "mannerisms were completely different".

While I was calm and composed, the Fullmetal Alchemist was lively…and a slight hothead. I was reminded of that unexplained torrent of emotion I felt buried deep inside of me inside of my Philosopher's Stone and the way I could lose control and let that emotion slip. Was that some remnants of Edward Elric's personality which had infused into mine?

Too early for this deep thought. The smell of the food was only becoming stronger and harder to resist at the same time; it was like I was being summoned down the stairs in the inn to the food – a full breakfast was waiting for me.

As I slipped into my seat, I noticed the tingle of the bell as the inn door opened, and Rosa slipped in with a few greetings to the bartender this morning. She scanned the tables until she found me, and like a hawk tracking down their prey, she hurried over to my table with a heavy bag swung over her shoulders. She dumped the deposits at my feet as if they were worth nothing. "Here are the leftovers I had from this year's spring collection. They'll be going in a storeroom anyway, so you might as well take them."

I swallowed my mouthful and buried a hand into the bag, where it came into contact with soft fabrics and rougher denim – there were jeans, shirts, jackets and even a pair of shoes hidden deep below. She pulled out the chair opposite me and took a seat and as if she had planned it perfectly, a cup of piping hot coffee was brought over to her. She sipped without flinching to the heat and smiled up at me before her eyes narrowed.

"Are you not going to say thank you at the very least?"

"Oh…thank you, Rosa. I am in your debt for this," I finished my meal and pushed it away from me, tugging at the orange-sunset jacket which had slipped off of my shoulders. Around me the other customers of the inn were either laughing eagerly ready to seize the day, or yawning continuously into their cupped hands. The air was steaming with caffeine vapours. Sunlight was busily shining through the open door and windows. I could tell this was going to be a humid day.

"You're more than welcome, George," Rosa followed my gaze out of the window. "I still can't believe it is July already."

July? For some reason, I thought it was June…25th June. Oh… I counted the days in my head. That was the day of my purification. So much had happened that time felt like an anomaly.

"What is the date, Rosa?" I asked, raising a hand to call the bartender over.

"3rd July." Eight days had passed.

 _"Edward, you have to wake up! Your brother needs you…the General needs you…"_

I felt that emotion brewing up inside of me. It told me to go back to them - to run, run, run back to them. I had to go to them before they came for me. And "them" was not Father with the other Homunculi.

Breathe. Focus. I could control my core unlike the other Homunculi. I had to let my mind slip into that meditative state and I would be able to think rationally. My eyes closed as I slipped into my core like a whirlwind. The voices of souls in agony and despair wailed around me. I kept journeying through the mass of souls until I reached that brewing emotion, almost like a presence, almost like a person but not. The remnants of Edward Elric.

The presence brewed with an anger and rage, an incomparable determination to return to "them". It then paused, and the feeling sank away like grains of sand falling through my fingers. I was whisked away from that dark place within and opened my eyes once again to reality. This time, I was not panting, confused or doubting – my mind had gained what felt like a wistful clarity. I knew what I wanted to find out. I knew how to sate my curiosity.

"Please, Rosa. Could you tell me about him? Could you tell me about Edward Elric?"

"I was wondering when you would finally decide to ask me about him," Rosa said. "The Fullmetal Alchemist was enlisted as a State Alchemist at the age of 12, and he scoured the country for a legend. He was always with his brother who was often mistaken for him. He was rash, hot-headed and arrogant, but after he saved our town, we saw the softer side to him. He cared and I doubt he understood this himself, but he was compassionate with the power to save the world. I don't care about his alchemy heroics – he saved us, and we owe him our lives. I admire his strength – simple as that."

I swallowed back bile rising in my throat. "Where is he now?"

"The Elrics come and go. But the last that I heard, they were living in Central for Edward's work purposes. They'll be back – they cannot help but stay out of the spotlight for long!" Rosa chuckled and checked her watch. "Oh my, midday already! I need to get back to the shop…"

My chair tilted back abruptly as I stood up. The bartender had been hovering behind us and I paid him with a fistful of notes. "Thank you for this morning and last night, but I must go."

"Where are you going from here?" Rosa asked me, her eyes full of hidden inquisitiveness.

"I'm searching for a key to a dream," _the key to a memory._ I said back and she looked at me with recognition. I didn't know how, but she knew about me.

Perhaps there was no crystal ball that held away memories after all. There was no glass to smash which could cause pain and hurt. Mysteries were all around me, but I had to piece them together one by one. I had lived as a Homunculus, and now I had lived as a human. There was still a pathway for me to forge, and no memory suppression could subdue that passion living deep inside of me. Father had tried to subdue it, yet I remembered fragments…They were hazy and unclear, but clearer than before…

The Blue Hour…the General…the fields of gold in Resembool…Without straining my mind, and allowing the thoughts to come to me at will, I could summon up the name of a place I needed to go.

Resembool. I hoped that was the place which would be the key to answering my dreams.

"That was what Edward said to me when I asked him that question." Rosa smiled. She turned around to depart and waved a hand at me. "Safe travels, George, or whoever you are. Remember to cover up that arm and leg."

I gasped – my sleeves were long enough to reach my hands and feet, but they had been rolled up so my tattoos were just jutting out. I sighed in relief and fled to my room to retrieve my items.

I had a train I needed to catch.


	14. Sunset

Blue Hour

I'm sorry for the longer update wait - I wrote the first part of the chapter a week ago before completely scrapping it. I hope you like how this version came out ^^

As a head's up, everything is going to be explained next chapter - how Roy is still alive and what exactly happened to him. Next chapter...which is going to be called Interlude of Day and Night, aka Twilight, aka Blue Hour, and it's the moment this story has been leading up to. We're so close!

A warning for language in this one - but as it's rated T, I'm sure you're prepared for this.

Thank you for your patience and I'll see you with the next update! ~ Dawn

* * *

Chapter 14: Sunset

 _"No, no, I won't let you take him!" his voice screamed, although only a faint echo sounded in the distance. Everything was dark. His chest heaved; blood welled down from the scratches assorted all over his body._

 _He was falling but there was no ground which would break his swift descent into the unknown abyss below. He could feel nothing, and there was nothing to hold onto to break his fall. And he couldn't see where he was. That was the most unnerving part – without seeing his reality, there was no limitations to the fantasies his mind could procure._

 _Where was he? He remembered…blackening pain, which had torn through his body like an earthquake. He remembered…defending someone, someone very precious to him…_

 _And yet he couldn't stop falling. Pain and then descent into Hell. So this was what dying felt like._

 _Why did it feel like a dream? He imagined ruffling his hair in vehement frustration. Why did everything have to be goddamn vague!_

 _Suddenly, he slammed into a hard surface. His heart flipped inside out and his eyes blinked in amazement. For an instant he thought he was blind, for what dominated his vision was white, iridescent gleaming white, surrounding and cornering him like a predator dominating over their prey. It was as though this place's purpose was to make him feel trepidation._

 _And he hated to admit that in this white vortex of unvexing silence…he was apprehensive. The white field was like a magnet being attracted to him, and no matter where he looked, the white walls of this place were looming in closer to him._

 _Saying that he was not confused couldn't be an understatement – it was a definite lie._

 _"Activate! You've got to work, goddammit!" a voice shrieked in his mind. Everything flooded back to him – Roy Mustang. His pupils dilated, his heart pounded, his limbs jerked as nervousness and impatience quivered throughout his body. He knew that voice._

 _"Work! PLEASE WORK!" the voice – Ed's voice – reached a crescendo. Roy's vision faltered. The white void melted away around him._

 _He was at a crossroads. He couldn't move, as though someone had glued his feet down to the ground. Each path led to unknown destinations. He was standing in the middle of the two boundaries, like a watcher between worlds. However, he had the uncanny feeling that he was on the boundary between life and death. Because the pain he had felt had been indescribable. It was a pain that could only be defined as "dying"._

 _Roy had been pulled back from that haunting white place, which would reside in his mind forever like a ghost. He knew that place was the portal of Truth. He had had it described to him by Fullmetal._

 _If he had been pulled back…someone must have used alchemy…who had he been with?_

 _His soul sank at the answer. Edward. Fullmetal._

 _Edward shouting and crying out for something of his to work…was it his attempt to save Roy's life?_

 _Had Fullmetal performed human transmutation knowing the likely price he would have to pay?_

 _Damn he had a headache. Even if this was going on inside of his head and he still had a headache._

 _And there, shining with the warmth of the sun at the crossroads, Fullmetal stood with his cloak of flame with his back turned against Roy. His boots scuffled lightly in the ground as he turned around to look at Roy, his golden eyes so furious Roy shied away instinctively from their glare. However, Edward's eyes softened and he shoved his hands into his pockets, smiling contentedly as if nothing had happened._

 _"I guess it worked then. My theories about Delay Transmutations…something I did actually worked for once," Fullmetal walked up to Roy, and stood on his tiptoes once he reached the taller man. Roy couldn't move. He couldn't speak. He couldn't_ think. _It was so sudden…so soon…_

 _"Take care of them all for me." Edward's hand rested on Roy shoulder for a second after whispering into his ear. That gentle touch tightened for a moment, passing on that invisible strength and courage into Roy, before being released by its holder. "Take care too, dumbass."_

 _His footsteps faded away in the distance as the blond alchemist walked towards his unknown destination._

Fullmetal. Edward. _Roy's thoughts cried._

 _But he couldn't even turn around._

 _Roy concentrated on moving his body. He had to catch up with him! He had to stop this madness!_

Move! _He commanded his body with every morsel of strength that his mind possessed. As if being unbound by chains, the force gluing him to the ground melted away and Roy was able to turn around. He started sprinting towards the road that Fullmetal had taken. But Edward Elric had vanished like he had melded with the shadows leading down that dark road._

 _Roy was being whisked away; he was being taken back to the world of the living. Back to reality._

 _He didn't know what Delay Transmutations were. He didn't understand anything that had happened except that Ed had sacrificed himself for Roy and Al and everyone. Ed had left them all alone._

Roy shuddered as he felt Winry shaking his shoulder with enough strength to snap his spine. Roy's eyes blinked wearily, still half asleep. Winry was breathing heavily and Roy squinted to see that her hands were clammy, as though she had been witness to some great shock.

As he orientated himself to his surroundings, his memory came back to him. They had boarded the train from Resembool and had recently passed through East City, but instead of using his elite status to grab them the best seats, they had chosen a quiet carriage on the train full of people either too lazy or antisocial to stir up idle chatter with the other train passengers. There were no children whinging for their parent's attention or an overly friendly train conductor; there was only the light shuffle of a newspaper or the delicate snoring of a passenger hidden beneath a blanket of coats and jumpers.

The train hummed on quietly, the clacking of the tracks the distinctive and comforting sound which stirred Roy back into consciousness.

Roy rubbed his eyes, caffeine-depraved as ever, and felt his hand stop when it touched his face. It was damp. Had he been crying?

"Why did you scare the living crap out of me, General?" Winry cried, shaking Roy on the shoulders again. Her arms were shaking much like the tone of her voice. She was afraid, Roy realized.

He chose to ignore her protests and peered out of the window. There were the prominent rolling fields and pastures filled with the sheep-clouds grazing at the green sea of grass. He could see a flock of birds in flight. He sighed – they were still deep in the East Area; it would be some time before they reached the Central Area, and the capital to Amestris was still as far as a dream away.

Winry was watching him with concern brimming in her eyes. Bloody compassionate and obstinate fool. No wonder why Fullmetal had been firm friends with her since his childhood. Roy calmed his insides which were fluttering at his _uselessness_ to do anything. He couldn't save Fullmetal. It had been _his_ fault. He wanted to slap his delinquent past self for being so foolish for thinking that the mission to the underground lair of the Homunculi would be a good idea. He couldn't believe that he had thought that he could rescue Fullmetal, defeat the Homunculi and watch over Alphonse all at the same time. He was a foolish foolish bastard…

But he couldn't let Winry see his self-loathing. He put on a brave front, concealing his true emotions like a misty veil, and merely shrugged his shoulders with nonchalance. "We soldiers always get nightmares, Miss Rockbell. I apologize that you had to witness them."

"You were screaming out for..." Winry paused and looked out of the window at the sun beginning to dip in the horizon, nearing its flamboyant setting with each passing second. "You were crying out for him. You were pounding the seat with fists and you were crying, Roy."

He gasped when he heard Winry say his name. Bloody hell – she must be _really_ concerned about his delusional, ridiculous mind. "He is my subordinate – it's only right for me to worry about Fullmetal and Alphonse. They have been missing for over a week, if I remembered correctly?" Roy desperately tried to change the subject, but Winry only rolled her eyes.

"You cried out his name, General…You called out for Ed," Winry spoke with a finalising tone to her wavering voice, "Not Fullmetal or Elric or Edward. Just Ed…" She choked, and it drifted out into quiet sobbing.

Roy could believe it. He shuffled in his seat until his posture was upright, and he felt a familiar confidence starting to return to him. He was a General of the Amestrian Military, the renowned state alchemist of which his name was Flame. He had a dream to achieve, but he only wanted to reach that stage with those he cared about.

Roy could count the times he had cried on his hands. The first had been some time as a child when he had been told that both of his parents had abandoned him forever, the second when his dog, who had been like a twin to him, had passed on. Thirdly for his best friend; the best friend who had left behind laughs and too many goddamn photographs. And now…for Edward.

In dreams, it is possible to believe that anything is imaginable. However, at the back of your mind there is an ebbing feeling as you stir back into consciousness, knowing that your time there was going to run out. Roy had lost control since he knew that that dream had been _real_ , and still he was powerless. He couldn't go back in time, and if he did, Fullmetal would have likely made the same choices; ultimately the path of fate had been carved. There was no changing this fact.

But if those dreams were accurate, then he knew that Edward-

No. He wasn't going to fall into an abyss of self-pity. He had suffered enough after Ishval and even more so after Maes. If there was the faintest glimmer of hope shining in front of him, he would keep running towards that light. The nightmares wouldn't end, but even if they threatened to engulf him in a tide of despair, he _had_ to break through. He couldn't linger at the crossroads anymore. No more tears.

He had people waiting for him. Even a young woman who had _despised_ him was now wondering if he was alright. Winry was quietly crying into her shoulder turned away at an angle to give her little privacy.

"I have a lot of overtime to see to, Miss Rockbell. As a colonel and a brat, he can't stay missing for too long," Roy said jokingly. Yet he was wondering…why was Fullmetal still missing? He wiped his face clear of all sorrow and leapt out of his seat, ignoring the protests of his back and his ass. Someone had a newspaper with them around here.

He scanned the aisle's rows of seats. There was someone sleeping, someone gazing absent-mindedly out of the window…and someone reading a newspaper at the speed that a tortoise would complete a marathon. Roy leaned over and teased the paper from the reader.

"Thank you for this," Roy added, scrambling in his pockets for loose change which dropped onto the table where the reader stared back up at Roy. Even with civilian clothing on, Roy would recognise that face anywhere. This person was bordering on ginger, and had a stout appearance to him. He had rough stubble which couldn't be described as a beard, a sandwich wedged between his teeth and cunning eyes staring back at Roy.

He was speechless. He couldn't believe it. On an east country train with more livestock than human passengers, he had found his rook, Breda. Or Breda had found him.

"Breda?" Roy gasped and almost forgot to breathe. Breda…a member of his team was alive and well, and had been sent chasing to find their commanding officer. Roy's fleeting worry for his team ebbed slightly as Breda lifted a hand to Roy, motioning for him to sit down. Roy took a seat opposite. Breda's eyes were ringed with deep shadows and he looked like he had lost some weight in the space of a week. His skin was sallow.

And Breda was not going to worry the most. There was Fuery, who panicked when his radio broke and whimpered like a sorrowful puppy. Or Hawkeye…

"Where are they?" Roy said seriously, adopting the voice he summoned and reserved for the military. What he was saying was an order. Breda knew who he was referring to; despite Roy being a certain charmer, there were few people who could count themselves as being close to him, closer than friends – more like allies.

Breda swallowed the last bite of his sandwich and rested his elbows on the table separating them both, letting his hands rest on his chin. A frustrated or _irritated_ scowl crossed over his usually reserved expression. "All accounted for, except for Hawkeye, sir."

"Explain to me, Breda," Roy ordered and his tone was more authoritative than he expected it to be; Breda's back stiffened. However, Breda's clouded and glazed appearance explained more to Roy than could have been explained to him in words. That was the haunted look of a soldier who did not know about the fate of a fellow soldier like when Roy was in the aftermath of a battle and he scanned the crowds of soldiers to see who was standing or injured. Anyone unaccounted for would be dead.

Breda didn't know as much as Roy. At least he knew now that the rest of them were safe, for now. As for Hawkeye, Roy would have to find her alongside Alphonse and Fullmetal.

But he couldn't simply stroll into Central Command. He was on the wanted list for the Homunculi, who were probably missing his presence in the underground lair which Roy, in addition to every other citizen in Central, had no idea what was lurking beneath their feet. There was much to do and so few resources to do it with. Roy would have to become as inconspicuous as a shadow, and work his way through this mystery. He had the remainder of his team by his side.

As Roy flicked through the contents of the newspaper, there was not the slightest information on Hawkeye's whereabouts. That was no surprise, since she wasn't the highest ranking officer in the Amestrian military and was so quiet she was almost anonymous to the tabloids as a result. However, there was not a shred of detail on his, Fullmetal's or Al's disappearances. Nothing at all.

It was as if the newspapers did not even know of their whereabouts. The Homunculi must have covered up the traces of that incident eight days ago. That would prevent people from asking questions and hence stop the investigations from ever getting started. Roy suspected that the Homunculi had roots with the military, but now it was confirmed.

And that meant that the Homunculi could dispatch of them quickly, yet nobody would be certain if they were alive or dead. They could be dead for a long time without people starting to find out.

Yet there was a positive side to being famous. Eventually people _had_ to ask questions, especially if two State Alchemists were presumed missing. Roy Mustang knew too much, and so the Homunculi would be coming for him faster.

He had to get to Central.

Impatience made his skin itch and an uneasy headache settled in his brain before moving to every part of his body. The train had suddenly decided to move at the pace of a slug and Roy was tempted to jump of the train to push it forwards with his own strength. Anything to get him to Central faster. He had to save them.

In the silence that followed, suspicion began to creep into Roy's mind.

Breda was calmly sitting as he always did. But he didn't know if it was the choice of clothing…or the more prominent stubble than usual on his chin...yet something felt off about him. And then, everything made sense.

Breda had called Hawkeye by her name. Yet Roy had commanded his subordinates to refer to each other in code (which he often forgot about), but his team never failed to complete an order. Breda would not have called her Hawkeye.

This man was not Breda.

This man was a monster.

Roy's hands started to tremble in horror as a malicious smile crept along Breda-not-Breda's face. "Too bad you alchemists are too clever. I was having fun with this little game of mine, but now you ruined it. We're getting off at the next station. If you utter a word, I'll kill you now."

Breda-not-Breda glimpsed past the train seats to wear Winry was tinkering at some automail. "We can't worry her now, can we?"

Envy had Roy cornered on that train as sunset dawned over Amestris. And it felt like there was no escape from this madness.

* * *

There was something wrong. The children on the carriage around me chatted noisily to their parents who were doing their best to ignore them. It was just another summer day that was slipping into becoming a summer evening; there was perhaps an hour until sunset arrived.

I had boarded the first train heading east. There was one more stop on this one before we arrived in East City, where I would have to exchange trains in order to reach Resembool. I was almost there.

Yet when I arrived, the future felt like it was blurring up inside of my mind. I did not know what I was going to do once I got there. All I knew was that I had to make sense of the chaos swimming in my mind of a past life that didn't belong to me and a present life which I could not claim until that past had been put to rest.

And there was the matter of escaping Envy and my other siblings. It was strange, but I was connected to them. There was no science to explain this connection, although it could be due to us sharing our origins from the same Philosopher's Stone. I could feel a great energy radiating in my mind, a determination and resolve as such, and without a doubt I knew that feeling belonged to Envy. He was desperate to find his prey. It was the same feeling that connected me to finding out if people could wield alchemy or not, like there was a great power that governed the world and I was merely a connection in which the power could flow through. I could also detect this power in surges, which deemed the ability and skill of a person with alchemy.

Envy must have been ordered by Father to bring me back home.

My legs were tapping on the floor and my fingers were moving along the train window like I was playing the piano. I had tried to focus and connect with my core. But since I had boarded the train, that cool repose and serenity was a dream away – my whole body was tense, waiting for the moment that I would have to fight for my independence as a Homunculus.

I knew too much. I had shared a common mind and I was a splinter of Father's soul. If I was interrogated or someone discovered about my healing capabilities, I threatened the secrecy of the Homunculi, of the treasured shadow world.

However, if someone linked together the Edward Elric's disappearance with my uncanny similarity to him…the secrecy would be shattered in a second. Rosa had been close but her discretion had prevented her from pointing out the obvious. That was not the same case for anybody else.

And the situation was not helped by my daydreams and hallucinations. My mind was restless, and the strand of spirit that tethered my soul to this body, the remains of this body's owner, was almost feeding on my agitation. With that had come flashbacks.

There was pain in my…an arm made of metal. There was pain in my…their head like fists consecutively pounding from the inside out when I…he was trapped in the dark. Envy had been there. A rescue mission had arrived…Roy… _Al…_ but it had been too late. We…they knew the Homunculi's location and secrets…they had been attacked…I…Edward couldn't watch them die. I...he had performed something called a Delay Transmutation which I...he _hoped,_ hoped to God, that it had saved their lives.

I felt like two distinct halves of me was being dragged together against their will, and the stress was only making it occur faster.

And yet I was dreading remembering any more.

How could I remember something I hadn't lived through?

I was Pride, and my world was being turned upside down.

It was all happening at the speed of a hurricane. If my life was measured by a storm, so far it had been but storm clouds brewing, and now it felt like the storm was bursting through the clouds.

 _"Arrival at East City in half an hour! Anyone calling for…"_ the voice of the train conductor frazzled out of existence in my mind like a firework crackling away into dust as the train rolled to a halt. On the opposite platform, with a train primarily for livestock belching steam before rolling off in the opposite direction, left me a clear view of the platform's surface.

There were three people standing on the otherwise desolate platform. One was a stout man gripping onto the arm of a black-haired man. A blonde woman hesitantly followed behind. Their backs were too me. My heart started to pound – I could sense the great power channelling through his body – he was an alchemist. But that power was diverted from him, as if he was cut off from it. That was strange.

The black-haired man, as if summoned by my gaze, turned around. He didn't see me. But I saw him.

 _Memories of a half-completed conversation flooded around me like the backdrop changing in a performance. I was no longer on the bustling train bound for East City; I was sitting on comfortable sofas while my arms were folded. Depression radiated from me in waves. After searching for something for so long, I had finally believed in a glimmer of hope that I could obtain that item. But I had failed; hope had been snatched away from me. I had failed to find something…again._

 _And the fact that that inconsiderate bastard had forced me to hand in a report which I had barely finished on the train ride here worsened my mood. Why did he have to get involved?_

 _I stood up, impatient to leave this place. I had told to wait here, ordered, to wait here for him. Before I had noticed what I was doing, my feet were stalking towards his desk. While I didn't give a damn about military affairs, there could be something I could use against the bastard as blackmail._

 _For once I was glad Al wasn't here to scold me for behaving like a child._

 _On the desk of a high-ranking military officer – whatever rank he was now, I didn't keep track – one would expect to find it cluttered with paperwork and documents of military investigative cases, like a rogue alchemist. Or even a hint about his love life. Now that would call for a good blackmail. However, his desk was impeccably barren with a fountain pen placed to the right-hand side of a black folder. Inside of that folder, the paperwork had already been removed. There was also a stamp for a military seal._

 _That was it. I looked over my shoulder to see if anyone was coming. But I had better things to worry about than the military's shenanigans, especially the dull life of my superior officer. Why was he so damn annoying?_

 _I threw my report on the desk with a sudden thud. I was leaving. Al would be waiting for me outside._

 _However, my spirits plummeted when I heard the footsteps clomping towards the office. There was only one set of footsteps. It had to be the bastard. I tugged at my red cloak and shoved my hands into my pockets. He wouldn't get away with it. He had dragged me away from my search for the Stone!_

 _The door opened. A grizzled Roy Mustang stumbled into the office as though he was in a hypnotic trance. It was too early in the morning for the likes of him and he hadn't had his morning coffee. Bastard._

 _And even though he was evidently late himself, he had had the audacity to accuse me of being late. "Late again? You really shouldn't run around like such a hooligan…"_

 _I fired him a death glare as he flopped into his chair and flexed his hands on the desk's surface. He reached out for an invisible cup of coffee which wasn't there. Groaning with exhaustion, he dumped the countless folders onto his desk which would be keeping him occupied for the day. Lucky that he could be a man of regular routine. And he was smirking at me._

 _"What are you staring at?" I challenged._ He pisses me off.

 _His hands had suddenly gained a fascination to him for he was staring at the details on his palms, as if I had been completely forgotten. Well then I could finally leave this place. Why was I still here? And yet I waited for his response._

 _"It must be quite terrible to be both insane and short…" he said wryly and I realized that I was slouching while leaning against his desk. A tendon popped on my forehead. My short temper was already beginning to snap._ Nobody ever called me that and lived.

 _I straightened up and corrected my posture. Mustang merely rolled his eyes at me before unscrewing the cap of his pen and opening the first file as if nothing had happened. That bastard. "How dare you call me so short that a telescope wouldn't be able to find me?"_

 _He looked up at me for an instant from his pen beginning to scribble over a page. His questioning gaze said everything: telescopes?_

 _Damn that was it. "Bastard!"_

 _"'Bastard'? Now that's a phrase you haven't used in a long time…"_ Why couldn't he go to Hell!

 _Roy wasn't writing. His pen hadn't actually touched the surface of the paper yet. It was lingering in mid-air as if it had the capacity to hover. His face was lined with a nostalgic smile as if he wasn't in his office but swimming in his reams of memories. I blinked in confusion. Were they memories…involving me? Why had I just assumed that those memories had been about me?_

 _"What do you mean…" I mumbled, averting my own gaze. I was starting to retreat to the door, freaked out by the sincerity and gratitude in the man's voice. It was so unusual that it was unnerving._

 _"It's a compliment. There has never been another as indubitable as you…" Roy lifted his hands above his head in mock surrender watching as I fled from the office._

 _"Sorry, General. But Al is waiting for me! I'll see you later…" I blurted as I left the office. The last thing I saw was Roy shaking his head in the morning light, his bed hair already falling into its messy positon where it would reside all day._

 _A compliment?_ Damn what was that supposed to mean?

Just because you're acting strangely and you have my sympathy does not mean that you have my heart, Roy _._

 _"You have a habit of it, alchemist. Always so indubitable…"_

I didn't know why. Why…Why?

Why were the memories flooding back to me now?

Al.

Win.

Roy.

Why had it been him?

Him. All because of him.

As I stared unwillingly at the nearing sunset, my hands drifted from their place on the window. The movement was as natural as if I had been born doing it. It ended in a clap that resonated throughout the train carriage, and my soul immediately felt alive.

The train was about to depart. I grabbed my few belongings and leapt off the train as the country air buffeted my face. Roy was on the other platform…and I recognised the blonde woman. It was Winry. A nostalgic smile similar to Roy's spread across my face as I sprinted over the bridge to reach the other side of the train platform. Sunlight drizzled from above like rain and my every step was filled with a haze of colour, turning the world to oranges and vibrant pinks.

And yet I recognised the third figure too. The energy and excitement was spilling from his Core. It was Envy. He had the people I could not ignore in his possession. I had no plan, no weapons and no alchemy. But I was going to rescue them.

Yeah…I guess the bastard was right. I really am as indubitable as he believed me to be.

I quickened my pace, reaching out for them, like how I had always tried to reach out for the Sun.

Just _you wait…Wait for me!_


	15. Interlude of Day and Night: I

Blue Hour

It's up before the month is out! :D So sorry about the delay (ha ha... what a bad joke, you'll find out more about it when you read the chapter) but I'll definitely be updating this story again soon. It's my first, and holds a special place in my heart.

I do hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing it. With that, I'll leave you in the company of Ed and the others. Here we go.

* * *

Chapter 15: Interlude of Day and Night

 _Part I - Astronomical_

 _"_ _No no no…I'm not going to let you die!"_ Edward's voice shattered across the silence. His voice was trembling; his broken bones were shaking while sending jolts of pain shivering along his spine. Blood was trickling down from his wounds. And he was crying. But he hadn't even noticed when the tears had started to fall.

Perhaps they had been there right from the beginning.

His heart was pounding and each breath ached. A part of him, a cruel and selfish part, wanted to curl up and lie down, waking up from this bad dream. How long would it take for him to realize that there was no damn end to the suffering set for him by fate?

That didn't matter. Any pain upon his own body could hurt until it threatened to break him. But he would not fall and break into a thousand pieces; he was too stubborn to sit back and surrender.

Yet when Al was in pain, even if it was when he had a thorn in his palm when they were younger, he wouldn't forgive _anyone._ Rational thought ceased to exist for Edward. All that mattered in his world was fulfilling the promise he had made to his brother:

We're going to get our bodies back. Together.

Those words had been ringing inside of his mind as he had stepped forward to attack Envy. He had pushed Roy and Al to the side; only he had to bear the burden of the spotlight against the Homunculi. This had been Edward's entire fault. If he had not been captured…they wouldn't have been in this situation in the first place.

"You will not touch them, Envy," Ed had panted as he had staggered up to face the black-haired Homunculus. "I won't let you. Not as long as I have breath in my body."

"Are you trying to compare your one draining life to my hundreds?" Envy scorned, transforming his hand into a dagger. "I never thought that you could be so naïve…"

"Who are you…" Edward gasped, turning to see Roy and Al advancing to his side. They were starting to bleed from their injuries, but despite their grizzled appearance, their eyes glowed like pools of fire. They were not going to surrender, and they were not going to sit back to allow Edward to face their demons on their own.

As it had always been. They were going to do this _together._

Determination flooded through Edward. His eyes narrowed as he disgustingly took in every detail about Envy's appearance. He had ratty, trailing hair sticking out of his head, violet eyes glistening with madness, he had a fully spread grin spread across his face. He was lumbering towards them as if he was struggling to balance, but his movements were calculated; despite Envy's apparently radiating confidence, he was advancing cautiously. There was no doubt that he was an experienced fighter.

Edward took a single step forward. Even though his automail was broken and he should have fallen unconscious from the amount of blood that he had lost, his body prepared to move as if it had a will of its own. He would lead this dance. And so he clapped his hands, starting the first beat.

Sparks of alchemic energy burst into existence and at that moment, the blue light filled the shadowy space; they were in a cavern-like room with pipes encircling them. The ceiling seemed to yawn endlessly above them.

Ed heard his brother adopt his battle stance and came charging up as Ed's right side – always his right hand man – and Roy's eyes burnt with fury as he came up on Ed's left, refusing to leave Ed behind. Envy shrugged his shoulders and his untransformed hand started to contort and elongate in a horrid green squirm of skin, which was spawning out of nowhere. Red sparks flew out as Envy beamed his wicked grin and lifted his dagger arm in preparation. Despite his hulking frame, he nimbly dodged to the side, and the green mass which was him arm penetrated the rock below and started to furrow its way through the earth below. It erupted from the ground like a whirlpool by Ed's feet and constricted around his chest. A cry and grunt to either side of him were the only sounds needed to tell Ed that his companions had been trapped too by this monster.

He struggled limply, trying to push his hands together in order to transmute. But the tangle of green around him prevented his hands from coming into contact with each other. His heart was beating like drums, as if his body knew the inevitably of defeat.

But he was the Fullmetal Alchemist. Surrendering was something he couldn't do. He was grateful for the blood drizzling down his head, trickling along his arms and hands like rivers. While gritting his teeth and turning his head to see Al struggling faintly against Envy's binds, he hastily drew a transmutation circle onto the inside of his left palm. He had a lighter held in a firm grip in his hands. Even though any alchemist with only a rudimentary knowledge of the science would have jolted at the swirling mass of green skin surrounding him, constricting his breathing to next to nothing, Ed drew the array flawlessly. He activated its power with a brush of his fingers on the surface of the circle.

A shot of electricity burst from his hand into the ground which caused the earth to rumble furiously. He heard Envy cry and he was dropped to the floor. As quickly as he could blink, he transmuted towards the ground, transmuting rock bullets straight at Envy. And suddenly, a burst of fire lit the room with its ember-bright light. Ed watched as Roy charged past him having drawn his flame alchemy transmutation on the back of his palm too. He yelled furiously into the chilling silence as a series of flames flew at Envy to his bidding.

However, the flames dissipated into nothing, leaving ash floating to the floor in a pile of cinders. "No…it couldn't be…"

As the smoke cleared, Ed stared in horror as he watched Roy had his hand inches from Maes Hughes' face. The General's entire body was shaking and he was muttering incoherently under his breath. Maes blinked at Roy and added indifferently, "Can you kill me like how you slaughtered all of those innocent people, Mustang?"

Roy stopped at that moment. He straightened up, and among the smoke and ash, he looked like a phoenix being reborn. He smacked his hands on the transmutation circle and flicked the switch to the lighter. " _Don't you dare pretend to be_ him! _And he only called me Roy!"_

Envy vanished into the remaining shadows of the cavern and reverted back to his original form. As he slipped into the clutches of darkness, he whispered, "If only he was as unshakeable as you, General Mustang. Do you think that bitch that follows you around will fall as easily?"

Realization flooded into Roy's eyes as he saw for the first time the truth of Maes Hughes' killer. He was standing right before him and he was only one transmutation away from gouging out the Homunculus' eyes with his flames. So different was he when they had been together in Resembool…

 _Roy…_

"I have nothing more to say to you, Homunculus. Save your words for Hell!" the Flame Alchemist cried at the top of his lungs, and mirthlessly drowned Envy in an ocean of garnet fire. Ed prepared to rush forwards to greet the battle, but he blinked and hesitated, only aware of the song of fire wreathing the cavern they were in. He turned around in confusion.

 _Al?_

"I'm here," a gentle voice whispered by his side, "I just had to do something…that's all."

In the middle of a fight? Al would never remove himself from a fight unless absolutely necessary… Why? He shook his head – there wasn't time to think about that now. Ed couldn't leave Roy on his own to fight _his_ battles.

"Are you ready, Al?"

"When have I not been ready, Brother?" Al's golden eyes shone brilliantly, not the empty husks of his red soul eyes in the armour, but eyes rich with emotion. It was like comparing the dying stars at dawn to the brilliance of the rising sun; there was no comparison between them, and Ed was so glad that Al had his body back at last. However, beneath that determined complexion, Ed noticed that Al was breathing heavily, and his arms were shaking like a leaf. And he hadn't been fighting for that long…

"Al, are you-"

"We have to move. Now!" Al shrieked as the green mass of Envy's skin came shooting towards them once again. Both brothers darted to either side. Ed rolled over the floor to avoid impact, but the harsh screech of metal against stone reverberated throughout his skull. He winced for a second before transmuting in front of him, where the writhing green mass was coming for him.

The symphony of fire had stopped. What had happened to Roy? Ed breathed a sigh of relief as he saw a dirt-coated General wipe the smears of blood streaming past his eyes and reach for another lighter he had stored in his pocket. Thank goodness.

The next words that sliced through the air killed him inside.

"Mum…what are you doing here?" Ed choked as every emotion threatened to pour out of him. That was Al speaking, terrified and vulnerable. Ed didn't want to have to look. But Al was there and he yelled at an inhuman pitch and lunged towards Envy disguised as his mother.

But…life…was devilish. Life couldn't have offered anything worse to Edward Elric.

Al-not-Al was standing in front of him, and before he could speak, red alchemic sparks shimmered as Envy mutated and regained his original form. His mother wasn't there. The real Al wasn't there. And this Al had a dagger for an arm…that couldn't be Al…and Ed was standing there, paralyzed, dreading the inevitable.

The second before dying was the longest second he had endured in his life.

He clapped his hands in retaliation, but as the first folds of alchemy glistened from his palms, the dagger was already inches from his chest. Ed was prepared to leap back, but he stared down at his feet, which were bound by Envy's green mass. He was prepared to push Envy out of the way, but Envy was unmoveable as a mountain.

Instead…he fell.

A force pushed him to the floor, and as he lost his balance and felt the clutches of Envy's green-serpentine-like skin unravel from around him, he watched…watched…Al take the attack for him.

Al collapsed into a heap in front of Ed. The older Elric didn't have to think. He screamed and transmuted a pillar of rocks at Envy, hoping Envy felt all of the pain and bloodshed and tears that were aspects of being human. However, Ed automatically stopped when a gentle blood-stained hand wiped above his cheek.

"Don't cry, Brother," Al whispered tentatively. There was a gaping hole in his chest that was already staining red, as red as a crimson river. Stupid Alphonse…Ed wasn't always the reckless one.

"You have no right to do this, Al. _I'm_ the older brother. _I'm_ the one who has to protect you," Ed murmured, holding Al closer to him. He started to assess the damage and prepared the human transmutation that he was going to perform. He would willingly give up another limb for his brother…any price that was offered in exchange for Al's life and he would pay.

"We protect each other, Ed. That's what it means to be an Elric brother," Al coughed lightly and Edward held him closer like a wilting flower when the frost came. "And you cannot die, Brother." Al smiled wanly. "Because you mean the world to me."

With the last ounce of strength in his body, Al clapped his hands and pressed the force into Edward's chest, burning with an icy blue light. Alchemy. Except nothing happened…Ed's insides had suddenly stopped warring with each other. And for once, he felt warm.

What had Al done?

Al…Alphonse…

"AL!" Ed screamed as he cradled the limp form of his brother even closer to him. There was still time. He could save Al. He squeezed Al's hand, already beginning to feel colder even if Al didn't squeeze back.

Desperation clutched to him. There could be a way. He had done it before. He had succeeded with the impossible and saved Al's life. That time he had only been eleven and lost a leg as well as all hopes and dreams of ever seeing his mother again. Ed had been able to save Al's life then. So why couldn't he do it now?

But there was a way.

He had researched it a long time ago when they had been much younger in their house on the hill in Resembool. Delay Transmutation.

Perform a transmutation and its effects would be delayed until the right circumstances caused for the transmutation to be activated.

Edward had known that he would need to save Al at some point. Al wasn't going to die here as a martyr. He was going to live and feel the sun again.

He wouldn't ever have to drown away in his pain again.

"For you…Brother," Edward Elric said and clapped his hands against Al, activating that long-buried array which could hopefully save Al's life. Ed prayed for it to save Al's life. It _had_ to save Al's life.

"Fullmetal!" another voice echoed in the dark chamber under the ground. Edward turned around to face Envy cackling, his violet eyes brimming with a sickening euphoria. A series of flames ignited in the heavy air, and again Envy writhed and screamed under their ember touch. But he continued to approach Edward, licking his lips in evident delight.

"One down, one to go," Envy snidely remarked and he winked at Ed slumped over beside Al's body.

But the transmutation had already been activated; its magic was beginning to hum throughout the dimly lit chamber. And once the transmutation had started, Edward was due to see it through all the way until its completion, like he was a metal drawn to the mystical magnetic pull which was alchemy. Crackles of blue light spewed from the connected brothers as Edward closed his eyes, his hands pressing deeper into Al's chest, as he summoned the array. Its image flickered and burnt in his mind like a firework.

Already Edward felt drained of life, like it was being sucked out of him through his blood. The Delay Transmutation was made…to exchange Al's life force with his own, and replenish Al's depleted spirit. There wasn't anything that Ed wouldn't give for his brother.

"Ah," he bit his lip as his body started to writhe in pain, as if his blood was filled with toxic venom. It was coursing through his body. His limbs were fire; his mind an inferno. His hands had started to shake…and he swore through his swimming vision, his head a heavy weight, that colour was returning to Al's pallid face.

It was working.

But it was taking long…too long. Suddenly, he felt cool breath at the back of his neck. He couldn't move – he was still bound to the transmutation. He would have to see it through until its completion. The breath settled over the skin like a layer of ice – it was Envy.

"Catch you later, pipsqueak," Envy whispered.

"Not him, you bastard. _Never him"_ Roy pushed Envy to the ground and stood to Edward's back, watching it forever. He couldn't see him, but he could feel the heat radiate from Roy's body. Edward breathed in that familiar scent of charred wood and ash. Yet Ed was feeling giddy and faint…it was staying harder and harder to stay awake as his life force was being sapped from him.

Al's leg twitched – he wasn't dead!

Suddenly another image burnt into his mind's eye. An array identical to Ed's one that he was using to activate the Delay Transmutation, except that this time, Al was activating it on _Ed._

 _"_ _I just had to do something…that's all."_ Edward now understood what the "something" was. Al had been preparing a Delay Transmutation of his own to protect his big but little brother.

Even if he was unconscious and near death, Al was still trying to save his brother's life.

"Enough of this folly, Envy," an uninterested voice said. Out of the darkness, artificial lights emitting from corridors were switched on, and a figure upon a dais came into Ed's line of vision. He was blond, wearing a simple white robe and sandals, his yellow eyes dilute and swimming with boredom… _Hohenheim?_

"What are you doing here?" Ed's voice trembled, helplessly transfixed as he stared at his father's blank expressionless face. He had not seen his father in ten years, and yet he remembered every feature of the man who had left his family behind. His mother had died because he had left her all alone. And Ed was just as bad as his father…he was leaving his brother to die.

No, he wasn't as bad as the bastard. He was far, far worse.

 _"_ _Fullmetal"_ Roy cried out, thrusting his arms out in a futile attempt to protect the brothers. There wasn't enough time for him to snap his fingers and Edward's entire body was trapped performing the transmutation. Roy's voice was cut short however, as the general shuddered to the floor beside Ed, his black hair pooling with the blood from Envy's fatal attack to the chest.

As the Delay Transmutation was reversing, the life force that had poured from Ed into Al was being absorbed back into Ed again. He had enough strength…he struggled to move his hands away from Al…and he removed his palms from Al, instantly disconnecting the transmutation.

Edward bared his teeth into the forming of a snarl. Rage melted through his body, controlling every nerve and impulse in his body, as he rose to his feet, the creak of automail clashing together in the air. He shook off the streams of blood dripping down his face with a wipe of his hand. Envy had moved to stand beside Hohenheim's side and his head was bowed as if he was receiving a scolding.

Hohenheim stared past Envy and made eye contact with Edward for the first time. His eyes widened in surprise before narrowing as if the momentary interest had flickered away. This man wasn't Hohenheim; he was more like a lifeless doll, with barely a scrap of humanity about him. Envy felt emotion, while this thing…

"It seems we still have an intruder inside of our home," the man mused. Envy, stunned, turned around and laughed at Edward with gleaming eyes.

"Have you come to die as well pipsqueak? It's always like this with you humans…you come back for another round of fighting in the hope of cheating death when you're only lambs being prepared for slaughter. I inflicted mortal wounds upon them – they aren't dead yet, but it won't be long, little alchemist!" Envy taunted as he tilted his head from side to side, and Edward heard the cracking of bones echo across the dull chamber. "May I, Father?"

"Father?" Edward growled. "So this is who manifested your soul from Hell, Envy."

"He may be useful. If that is Edward Elric, he shares some of Hohenheim's blood…he would make a valuable vessel for your brother, Envy."

"You've got to be kidding!" Envy cried, his voice bordering fear for the first time; Edward thought that it was impossible for the Homunculus to feel _fear._ "Not Pride…not after what he has done…"

But Edward had stopped listening a long time ago. He had to distract this Father guy and Envy from his true intentions. There was a gut feeling inside of him, as deep as his soul, which was an intuition which told him that Roy and Al were not dead. He still had time to save them. Ed had to act quickly.

 _Now!_ A voice in Ed's mind screamed. Edward planted his hands together and brought them to the ground as the rush of alchemy caused the stone beneath his feet to ripple like a tidal wave, and contort in shapes only rage could procure.

The array glimmered in his mind once again. This time, it had to work, and he had to save two people. Two people who he cared about so much than he would dare to admit. He didn't care about Envy or Father. He just had to save them. "Activate! You've got to work, goddammit!"

The transmutation started, but glowed hesitantly. Edward forced his emotions upon the array; the pain, the fear, the uncertainty, the intrepidity, the passion, the determination to protect them. This was what he wanted more than anything else. His mind and body worked in quintessential synchronisation, giving its all both physically and spiritually. The strength flooded from him and fissures started to appear in the ground around him.

Edward's last transmutation was filled with more power and voracity than any he had ever performed before. "Work. PLEASE WORK!"

And his vision was blinded as he stood at crossroads. Al and Roy were glowing dimly like spirits before their forms melded to become solid in appearance.

He waved to them and brushed lightly past Roy, breathing in his scent for the last time. And for the first time in a long while, his entire body relaxed. They were going to be safe.

* * *

Roy stirred, groaning as pain shot down his spine. He coughed and spluttered as bile rose unwillingly up through his throat. He knelt over panting for a moment. He staggered onto his knees, and then his feet, precariously aware that he could fall over. He pulled a hand through his hair, which was beaded with sweat.

And then he caught the stench of smoke and ash in the air. He gagged, despite being experienced with the smell. His insides squirmed like worms. Why was he so apprehensive?

The building looked deserted. He was surrounded by broken pipes, dripping water and rubble strewn across the floor; only Fullmetal could reap this much havoc in one go.

Out of the corner of eye, he saw a shimmer of gold, a glint of steel. _Fullmetal._

Several paces from him, the blond alchemist was slumped across the ground, lying very, very still. Alphonse was nowhere to be found.

.Roy suddenly remembered the feeling of vertigo, the feeling that he was falling, and being dragged away from the clutches of death after Edward had saved him. Edward had offered an exchange for Roy's life as well as Alphonse's while paying with his own.

Brat.

Fullmetal couldn't take claim to all of the fame. Roy took off his torn gloves and started to draw a transmutation circle into the ground with his blood. He activated it without a second thought of doubt or hesitation.

This was something that he had to do.

* * *

He was in a place of ever-lasting white. Every corner of this expansive void, every single crevice was the same pure glowing shade of white, as pure as newly-fallen snow. And before him loomed a large, grey Door.

Just as Fullmetal had described it. Roy had successfully arrived at the Portal of Truth.

"You have come to bargain for his life, as he bargained for yours and his brother's," a voice rang in the stillness. Roy gasped as a white corporal figure began to walk towards him. Truth.

"They cannot die," Roy said.

"That is exactly what he said," Truth observed flatly, "You are willing to pay any price to keep them alive. Sentimentality is a parasite to humankind."

"I don't give a shit about that," Roy shuddered and held his breath. He closed his eyes for a moment, where the touch of barley rippled like a wave across the fields in Resembool. Edward, with his flaxen hair billowing behind him, rested on his shoulder, and together they would watch the sunset. For the first time in his life, he said the words he had known to be true for a very long time. "I love him."

"Let's make a bet. You alchemists believe that you can save the world with a snap of your fingers, a clap of your hands. But can you truly save someone's heart? If you succeed in your transmutation, I will take your Gate for the toll. If you fail however, you can keep your Gate, and live with the guilt that your precious alchemy was not enough to save the one you love."

"I will kill you!" Roy snarled as feral as a wolf. He took a step forward but was stopped by an invisible force. In his mind, he was at the crossroads again, but instead of Edward and Alphonse waiting for him, he was alone.

Truth's voice echoed like a dim memory in the horizon. "Happiness is just another unattainable illusion, Roy Mustang."

* * *

"Where are the other two, Paps? The General and the pipsqueak's brother?"

"Their bodies will be somewhere, Envy."

"Oh look, it's the pipsqueak. Just about alive. Worthless thing."

"He will definitely be a valuable asset. Now…bring him to me. A new Homunculus is about to be born."

* * *

 _The Interlude of Day and Night refers to twilight, the period between daytime and night-time. This time occurs in three phases after sunset: Civil, Nautical and Astronomical Twilight._

 _Astronomical is the latest phase of twilight, associated for its dark sky and when stars begin to shine brightly._


	16. Interlude of Day and Night: II

Blue Hour

Happy New Year! Mock exams are all over now and so I've come back to the fanfiction. It's only been a couple of weeks, but it has felt so long XD

The scenes in Resembool are inspired by Sting's "Fields of Gold." I have envisioned this song since first writing Blue last summer.

The first real RoyEd moment in this chapter. Over 60K in, and here we are. I hope the wait was worth it ^^

* * *

Chapter 16: Interlude of Day and Night

 _Part II - Nautical_

I was running as fast as I could, heart pounding and fluttering like a bluebird locked in a vault unable to fly away free. My legs stumbled beneath me but some feral desire overrode my senses, a buried instinct which was just waiting to be found. I kept running, breaking out into a sprint as the train station vanished behind me.

 _Keep moving forward. They need you._

The instinct, the desire, the need controlled my senses with those simple words. They were the driving forces that I needed to keep moving forward.

I couldn't see them. On this winding country path dotted with shrubs along its side and copse of trees shading the grasses below; in their protector balcony of shadow, the dew still glistened from them. Bees hummed and drones back ignoring the shaded retreat as if it didn't retreat. It was just like the ordnary people who were sitting on the trains, as naive as their children, who were oblivous to the Shadow World. The world which I was a hostage to nlw and had chosen to dabble into willingly. That had been my fault. And nobody else's.

 _If only once, Brother, you could look beyond your own damned skin._

Greed's answer had been there in front of me for all of this time, dangling in front of me as narrow as an invisible thread. The memories. The pain. The care. Now that I had the drive to obtain them, they were swimming back to me willingly.

The scenery rushed by in a blue of colour and tantalising sensation like the force which channelled a whirlwind. It felt like my feet had gained enough momentum that if I wanted to push against the ground, I would be free to fly free from the chains which bound me to the earth, the same chains which locked the souls to my core.

It felt like exhaustion no longer existed within me. Light dappled all around me as the path wandered through a balcony of trees. I felt sick to the stomach and wretched, the opposite to the gaint of the birds soaring high, my company on this journey. My mind, soul and body had united on a single purpose. Nothing else mattered now.

And Roy and Winry were in danger. I had to do this for them.

* * *

"Where do you think you are taking us, you bastard?" Roy snarled like a feral predator, but in Envy's grasp he was the prey. He wasn't struggling – it wasn't worth risking breaking a bone or two – which he knew that the Homunculus could enact with a vicious twist. Damn he wouldn't let Envy get his own way.

But he had to bide his time. He had to get away from other people, civilians, in case they faced the Homunculus' spurts of madness in which he could kill every person on a train carriage in a heartbeat, and feel exhilaration from the act afterwards. Menacing. And yet that had all changed when he had seen _him…_

 _He_ had actually seen _him._

He was _alive._

Roy never thought he would appreciate the simple acts that promised life: breathing, heart beating. His own heart raced inside at the thought that he was alive. It didn't matter what had happened; all that mattered was what was yet to come.

"Somewhere a little more… _private_ , General," Envy whispered, looking around to make sure that Winry was behind. She trailed the two of them slowly and cautiously, rubbing her eyes as if she was trying to shift away a headache she had obtained from a hangover. She glanced over her shoulder, hauling her luggage bag over her shoulder. It was like she was waiting for someone to appear out of nowhere from the countryside path.

He was expecting it to, or he had been. But time had passed since he had seen the blond on the train. Perhaps he was travelling back home to Resembool…perhaps he was going to the military HQ in East City to hand in his resignation. He had found a way to bring Al's body back; he could easily find a profession elsewhere, one not involving and the Homunculi.

Roy wondered why Ed had chosen to stay in the military. And in Central too, when he could have been closer to his hometown in a quiet regiment in the East. The bustle of the capital city suited the Elrics though – they both had made it their home.

"You and your damn accomplices back in Central are going to feel my wrath for this," Roy answered aggressively but to his surprise, he heard Envy snigger.

"Imagine you saying that to Wrath. _He's_ the one you don't want to face when he's woken up on the wrong side of the bed. All of you damn humans. You're the same," Envy continued to cackle to himself under his breath, which was apparently a habit of his.

"You're all named after the Seven Deadly Sins….original, I have to give you that," Roy added, trying to delve deeper into the mysterious past of Envy and the other Homunculi. He had met Envy, the woman and the fat one, who must have been Lust and Gluttony respectively. And the Fuhrer, Wrath. As to the others: Greed…Sloth…Pride…

"Our paps named us fittingly, let's say," Envy mused, distracted and lost amid the memories that the Homunculus seemed to have accumulated. Roy's plan was working; Envy was becoming more and more distant from what was going on in reality, and that would be when he would attack. He could feel his fingers tingle and itch.

"Siblings? Homunculi cannot be siblings. You cannot have a father," Roy questioned, bringing back to the front of his mind the basics of biological and human alchemy that he had learnt rigorously while still being an apprentice.

"Well, we are," Envy snapped, his patience on a loose tether. "We're the superior species. Not like _you,_ with one life, repeating the same mistakes, over and over again."

"Are you telling me you have more than one li-" Roy was abruptly stopped as a knee kicked him in the stomach, and knocked the breath out of him.

"Would ya shut up? You're starting to irritate me," Envy muttered icily. Winry yelped, but after Roy sent her a steely stare implying _stay silent – I've got a plan,_ and her fearful gaze quickly became that of inquisitive.

Roy only hoped that he knew what he was doing.

"So you're called Envy because you are jealous of everything and everyone?" Roy asked incredulously, partly out of his own interest. He had never heard anyone be called of the name of the sort before. But he had never been acquainted with a Homunculus before – except possibly the Fuhrer, although he didn't know about that.

He would have to expose the Fuhrer; it was the morally right thing to do. However, the Homunculi had been pulling the strings on human society for at least the past fifty years. The ascension of Bradley into power had been an unexpected twist in politics – maybe this "Father" had been manipulating the strings to make that happen.

Maybe this "Father" had all of his pawns in place before Roy had been born. And that he was as helpless in the greater scheme of Amestris as he was all of those years ago when he hadn't been able to tell right from wrong.

"Something like that," Envy laughed shaking his head as if amused.

"Does that mean you are jealous…of us. You're jealous of us, are you not, Homunculus," Roy said. His tone was deep and earnest, but not sympathetic.

"Your mortal logic means nothing to me!" Envy grimaced in twisted pain and amusement again, wearing it like a disguise to hide away his true emotions, his pure _jealousy_.

Envy then stopped in his tracks. Roy took the opportunity to glance around the area. The train station was not even a speck in the distance anymore; it had been swallowed up by the hillside. They had come far. They were standing on the top of an open hill with a thin trail of woodland to one side and open, reeling moors spreading out downwards into the rest of the countryside on the other flanks of the hill. The air was still; birds sang a song somewhere in the copse of trees.

His limbs were aching with being dragged at an awkward angle. He wanted to drop to the floor and sleep. But that was not an option right now.

And it definitely wasn't an option when he was thrown from Envy's grasp and he bumped into Winry's luggage bag. Leaping out of her way, he saw her drop her belongings and step forward bravely beside Roy. They were alone except for the woodland creatures and the Homunculus.

Envy was shaking, as if in anger. He looked like an animal frothing at the mouth; rabid and uncontrollable. His skin suddenly started distorting and stretching an ugly green in colour. Red sparks like electricity seemed to crackle in the air. Roy recognised the distinguishing marks – alchemy – from a Philosopher's Stone. It smelt like rotting food and decay.

"Step back. _Now,_ " Roy muttered through gritted teeth as Envy's form writhed and expanded before their eyes. His shadow too was growing at an exponential rate. Except that this time they were not in a lair beneath the ground, and Envy could reap any havoc as he could please.

Roy stared at his palms and the memories of the time spent with Truth flashed before his mind's eye. He felt regret for a moment. But those were memories he had best not dwell in for now. There was a Homunculus who wanted his timely death, and if it was possible, he would like to avoid that under any circumstance.

And Envy had finished reverting back to his true form. Envy's monstrous form hulked above them as a mass of green and crying souls. His entire existence was warped. Purple eyes narrowed to slits stared menacingly at him, a mouth as wide as a cavern filled with glittering teeth. This was the price of sin.

One thought flitted through Roy's mind: _Jealously truly is an ugly thing._

As a huge tail came sweeping towards him, he managed to mutter: "Scatter", before the world turned upside down as seismic shakes tore apart the land.

* * *

"Envy." He had to hear me.

 _Reach him. Reach any sense of sanity that he has remaining._

I had suddenly felt a thrum of power and chaos surge throughout my body – it was Envy's Core becoming hyped by something. Roy did have that quality about him, but to have the full force of my rampaging sibling fall upon him and Winry? I wouldn't accept that.

As I approached the hill that Envy had climbed through the dense woodland, the ground ruptured like a volcano. Red sparks were flying out through the gaps in the trees. The shadows were manifesting and shifting and grew…larger.

I had never seen Envy regain his true form before. But I knew that that was what was happening.

"Envy!" I cried and quickened my already rapid pace. The ground moved so quickly beneath my feet that it felt like they were not attached to my body at all; I imagined that I was flying. I could see the end of the woodland path now, gleaming like a light. I was almost there.

And as I broke through the last bracken fronds into the open hillside, I saw Envy. Powerful and huge – a beast. With a flick of his tail he could easily knock down a row of trees, and smash boulders. People would have made no difference to his strength. He could squash them as easily as ants.

He was the child who plucked the wings off of butterflies.

Without their wings, the butterflies would die.

No more hiding in the shadows afraid. Even if the shadows was a place of sanctuary, a place of protection, where the Homunculi would reign superior. If I left the shadows, I would be seen for what I truly was. A monster trapped in the body of a human. A Homunculus. A human. A fragment of both, not quite a part of either world, a butterfly trapped in a glass jar.

A butterfly trapped in a crystal ball.

 _No more._

"ENVY!" I raced forward out of the protective circle of trees, and the seismic shaking of the ground clouded my vision with a blur.

Something hit my head…Stone not regenerating fast enough…make it faster…

 _It was sunset, and I was walking through a field. The barley stalks were sighing in the summer air, rattling as if someone was gently blowing on them. I could smell fresh paint of fences gloss and shining next to me on one side. The barley was my only company on the other._

 _I would never have considered doing this before. There wasn't any time…I had to get Al's body back. I smiled down at my elongated, ghostly shadow; the quest to regain what was lost was now complete. A couple of chunks of prosthetic steel limbs weren't too much of a fuss. Actually, I wanted to keep them. It would stop me from making the same mistake again, and dragging my little brother into it._

 _But if he was the one in trouble, I would do anything to save his life._

 _Winry's seemed to have more customers than she had automail limbs prepared for; Al was learning to walk again without his crutch; Granny was still as stubborn and batty as usual. Life had normalised…for once._

 _Even I had accepted the position of Colonel in the military. Only because I needed to the money to pay for the enormous mortgage that ripped a part of my purse out every month, and the bonus pay by accepting the promotion could pay for Al to do anything that he had missed out on._

 _My automail was glinting in the sunset's ruby light, dancing and creating figures dancing in the air. It was beautiful in Resembool at sunset. Sometimes I was grateful for what I had lost…to appreciate what I had been given._

 _I didn't know why I was doing this. I wasn't…he wasn't…but he had dragged me into this, of course._

 _Waiting at the top of the hill who was the man who could get what he wanted with a snap of his fingers. The arrogant ass that hadn't lifted a finger to complete his paperwork for a straight week. We had placed a bet, and a rather considerable bet. I didn't think that he would get away with slacking for a week. But he had wheedled his way out of that one._

 _It still pissed me off that he had won. The bastard._

 _I was due to return home to Central in a week. And even though it was strange to refer to it as home, we had made it our home. Although, looking at the barley stalks glowing in the evening light, as if they were feathers made of flame, I knew that this place would be my home forever, even if I had burnt down the house on the hill to run away from my mistakes. Our mistakes._

 _And yet it was okay to feel pain; the better memories made that pain worth living through._

 _The warm light flooded through my like hope, and I lapped it all up, my eyes closed and content. Tonight I could push these roaming thoughts away, and dream about the present. It was just us and the sun and barley. Together in these fields of gold._

 _Roy was sitting with his legs folded beneath the tree. He had his coat buried across his face, and he appeared to be in deep slumber. He looked peaceful amid the tranquil pastures. Outside the reach of the barley fields, daisies were growing around the sunny patches beneath the tree, dancing and rolling with little sun eyes of their own._

 _As I approached, he stirred and shrugged the coat off his shoulders. He opened one lazy eye and muttered, "So you came, Fullmetal."_

 _"_ _Not like you gave me any choice, bastard," I growled back and I reluctantly sat beside him and I turned to face the sunset._

Head…spinning…hard to concentrate…reeling…

My vision was blurry at best. I could see Envy towering above me and he looked fearsome beneath the azure sky with nothing to stop him in his path. One of my legs was burning like liquid fire and as I tried to move it, pain shot down my spine causing me to wince. It was broken. Yet the Philosopher's Stone was already beginning to work its magic, amending my broken body back into the correct positions.

An ordinary human wouldn't be able to do that however.

And I knew they were here…they had to be alive. I had to trust them to be alive, since I had my sibling to contend with. Standing up against the tide of sickness engulfing me, I shouted "Envy!"

 _Roy smirked and turned to follow my gaze of the sunset. The barley rippled like a tide of gold. Dandelion seeds fluttered through the air until they found their own place to call home. The sun's dying rays was crystallising everything resting on the world below; the barley looked like stalks of topaz._

 _Inky darkness had yet to make an appearance, and the whole sky had become a cascade of pinks and oranges and reds. It was too early to call it evening, but too late to call it afternoon. To me, it felt like Day and Night could both be people, and that sunset was when Day swapped places with night. For this one moment, they could both exist in harmony, and create this beauty that we could see._

 _I was surprised at how deep I was feeling. And inspired, like a writer or poet, and not an alchemist at all._

 _"_ _This is one in a million," Roy commented._

 _"_ _This is a privilege reserved for those who grew up in the countryside, bastard," I rolled my eyes, ignoring the pathetic comments of my companion. Couldn't he save his voice until_ after _the sunset?_

 _"_ _I'll just have to buy a house in the countryside, then," he smiled loosely, his head leaning back on his folded hands._

 _"_ _Filthy rich, spoilt bastard then," I replied, stretching out like a cat and ignoring the loathsome gaze he shot at me._

 _The sun had already dipped further across the horizon; it had started to be swallowed up by the earth. This moment wasn't going to last for long. I didn't know…my body was reacting on its own…_

 _But I trusted my instincts. They seemed to think they knew what they were doing._

 _What was I thinking? I didn't know what the hell I was doing._

 _Without turning my gaze away from the fields of Resembool, I took a deep breath and held out my hand into empty air._

"Pride?" came the shocked response from the green beast that was Envy. "Of course you came."

"Why are you doing this, Envy?" I shouted, and another side of me called after: "What do you achieve from doing this, you bastard?"

Envy growled threateningly, "You don't have a right to know that, traitor."

I rolled to the side as his front pair of legs came smashing into the ground, releasing shockwaves and tremors on the hilltop. A green leg was barely inches from my face; I had just avoided the blow. And even though I had a Philosopher's Stone, I had a human body without an Ultimate Shield like Greed.

"You can't get away with what you did, Envy!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. The energy from my Core was flowing through me, and I tapped into that enormous power surge of souls. _You have to help me. There are people I too need to protect._

And as if those lost voices could hear me, the Philosopher's Stone within began to bend and contort according to my will. I could feel my legs speed up, my breathlessness vanish. I looked sharply up at Envy, who I could be an equal with. We were both Homunculi with an equal number of souls given to us by Father. We were born from the same essence…we were brothers.

"Stop scrambling around you little flea!" Envy lifted his tail and brought it down to where I was. I barely had to move my feet, and I had avoided the blow. My whole body was alive and crackling as if with electricity…as if with alchemy.

"Don't call me a flea, or a midget or a tiny shrimp or any other insult you have got inside of your head. And do not…do not call me pipsqueak!" I raised a fist towards my brother, rage and fire burning through my path. But this was his anger, his pain. Ed's.

I was Pride, the traitor who had turned against their kin, the only other creatures who would accept me for who I was. And yet Ed's memories had become a part of me – his fears, his ideals, his flaws…and his dreams.

I owed him that much.

 _The sun was melting away into dust. The air was still warm but soon it would become cold and I would become to victim of frostbite. But not yet._

 _The drone of the cicadas and other insects banished my worries. My golden hair billowing freely in the summer wind, flaxen like the heads of wheat growing in the last of summer's light._

 _But the distractions weren't working…they weren't damn working! My heart was racing like my mind was pressing a panic alarm making my heart beat faster. Why had I done that?_

 _My hand was holding air, nothing but air. I let it slip to the earth, like it was a flower drooping. I didn't need to say anything, and yet my chest was going to burst with emotion, as if I had been waiting for a moment like this to arrive for a long time and now that it had passed, it had not reached my expectations._

 _I gasped as something warm clenched my left hand. I could feel its warmth course through me like the dull glow of an ember, like a weak ray of sunshine. My hand instinctively squeezed back in response._

 _I knew that this is what I wanted. I think I was beginning to understand now…why I had chosen to stay with the military, why we had moved to Central. I was a fool for being so gullible and following my heart, following_ him _._

 _"_ _I hate you," I grumbled, but I was already inching closer to him. I was close enough to hear his heartbeat._

 _"_ _This is…what you want?" he questioned softly. The sun had turned his messy black hair into a studded onyx, and Roy Mustang reached out with his other hand to grab something from my hair. A single strand of barley. He stared at it for a moment and then his gaze turned to me._

 _"_ _I don't know, General Mustang. But I'm about to find out if I d-" I was interrupted as he pulled me into an embrace, passionate and strong and gentle... and the sunset was all but forgotten._

* * *

Envy had been distracted, and Roy took the opportunity to hide Winry in a deeper cover of trees. He was out of breath and his torn clothes were snagged and in disarray, but the feeling was mutual between the two of them: Envy had to be stopped, and tamed if possible.

But a murdering, rampaging beast couldn't exactly be "tamed"…

"General, I've got to help," Winry said stubbornly, but Roy had snatched her bag from her, and like a magnet, she was being pulled towards its contents.

The bag weighed a ton, literally. What on earth had this girl been carrying when trekking across open country almost effortlessly?

"I can't have you hurt, Miss Rockbell. Now what would your grandmother say? I'm trying to protect you…"

"I don't need protecting, Roy. Envy _must_ know where Ed and Al are. They're like brothers to me. And I know that Ed is very close to you, General. I'm not a child anymore. Let me fight my own battles for what I believe in," Winry replied. She would not move another inch. Roy sighed and surrendered. Like Hawkeye, she was a strong woman, emotionally and physically. She was someone that he admired for her determination, resilience and patience, although the latter did not apply so much anymore.

"Envy!" A voice shrilly called, as if a mysterious figure had appeared like mist. It rang like a bell. He had heard that voice laugh, cry and fight when the battle was already lost.

Ed.

"Pride?"

 _A Homunculus? One of Envy's siblings?_

Roy sprinted back the short distance he had come. There was the clatter of rocks, flashing of red sparks…alchemy. Philosopher's Stone. It must be a Homunculus that Envy was fighting.

He had not met Pride in the cavernous lair, but he had not met Greed either.

His mind was racing. He knew who that voice belonged to. It couldn't belong to a Homunculus…how could it belong to a Homunculus…it was just impossible.

Roy tried to abate the feeling of nausea rising like bile up through his throat. Ed had to be the one recklessly fighting the Homunculi, on his quest to search for a fable, for the impossible to find a way to get his body back. And then he had completed one journey, and started another. He had started a new life in the military in Central with Al. He had grown up.

And Roy had fallen in love.

He had been promised by Truth that Ed would live – even if it was not all of Ed. Even if it was just his body and his soul had left this world. He had been left alone at the crossroads between life and death, like at the pinnacle moment between day and night.

He felt his hand clutch in his pocket. It was still there, a slightly withered, flaxen strand of barley.

Winry close by his side, he arrived.

Envy's head snapped around, and his teeth gleamed in a monstrous grin. "Look who we have here – the General and the girly."

"Use your alchemy, General!" Winry whispered faintly behind him.

Roy knew that he didn't need just his gloves to perform alchemy. As long as he had a surface and means of etching a transmutation circle into the ground and flammable material, he could let his flames loose. He could incinerate each one of Envy's eyes and deplete the monster of his life source soul by soul. He deserved to suffer the thousands of deaths that he had caused…a number which could have extra digits added to it. Roy didn't want to think about that.

His best friend had been robbed from him. His whole team – the people he trusted with his life. His family…his hothead alchemist.

"What are you waiting for General? Here's your target zone!" Envy chided in his strangely rumbling voice, indicating for his chest.

"I can't. I sacrificed it…to save them…to save _him._ "

"Did you hear that, Pride? The only reason you're tossed between two worlds is because of this man. Do you remember him?" And Envy's grin widened to resemble a half-moon.

A figure stepped from behind Envy, wearing civilian clothes. He had the same golden hair, the same height, the same physique. But he had four healthy limbs of flesh, and strange spiralling tattoos along the place where his artificial limbs should be. His eyes were oddly blank and seemed emotionless, his head cocked to one side in confusion. His teeth should be bared, his eyes should be full of the fire that he had come to love. It was him…but not.

He wasn't Fullmetal.

* * *

 _"_ _I hope you don't forget your first kiss, Fullmetal."_

 _"_ _As if you'll give me the chance to, ass."_

 _Ed purred lazily like a cat on Roy's shoulder, sleepy and content. The sun was about to vanish and the world seemed to be at rest from the chaos for this brief interlude of day and night. His golden eyes, hazy with sleep and brimming with determination, looked up at Roy._

 _"_ _I don't want this to end."_

 _"_ _It won't ever," and Ed pulled Roy closer to continue what they had started._

* * *

 _A/N:_ _The Interlude of Day and Night refers to twilight, the period between daytime and night-time. This time occurs in three phases after sunset: Civil, Nautical and Astronomical Twilight._

 _Nautical is the second phase of twilight; the sky is beginning to darken, but the sunset colours are still visible._


	17. Interlude of Day and Night: III

Blue Hour

I am so sorry for the delay in this update! I did promise an update for all of my stories by the end of July, and this concludes the list!

I have been wanting to write this one for a long while, and I hope you enjoy reading as much as I did writing :)

* * *

Chapter 17: Interlude of Day and Night

 _Part III - Civil_

 _Edward knew what a sorry place he was in. He had been watching on helplessly for all of this time, but he had never stopped fighting. Not even death could have stopped him. He had to regain control of this body from Pride…this monster. Yet it was easier said than done. Because it was his fragmented spirit against thousands of powered souls that kept the damn Homunculus alive. The Homunculus had changed his body…replaced his automail with hideous spiral-shaped limbs that looked like his limbs but were not. And Pride was as expressionless as the blond bastard of his father. There was another thing in common in how Edward felt between the Homunculus and his father: he hated them both._

 _And he reserved that emotion for few people and creatures…_

 _He could see Roy…he could see Winry…they were being hurt by the beast that was Envy. Whenever Pride spoke of the Homunculus as a sibling, it made him want to be sick. The memories, and everything he had felt at that moment in his memories, were so powerful they would transcend the boundary between his spirit and the swirling chaos of souls to reach Pride directly. His private experiences became something for the Homunculus to experience. His mind was his sanctuary and private, dammit! A part of him laughed – out of any deadly sin that he felt the most connection to, it was pride._

 _Edward was remembering the moment in the fields of gold with Roy…the faint musk of fire ever-present, and Ed had taken the man into his arms, leading the fight as they battled for dominance over the other, as they had always done…It was his chance to be alone together with his lover with nothing but the sheep and grass and sky watching over them in Resembool._

 _And Pride could see all of that._

 _The damn Homunculus was useless! When Ed's guard had slipped and memories of Alphonse and the Bastard flowed out of him, Pride had cowered. He had accomplished nothing because he was scared but instead of acting upon his fears, he had walked away. He had walked away from Hawkeye, and he had walked away from the drama. He had walked away from everything that Edward had been fighting for these past eight years…no, even longer, since his father had left him and Al…_

 _He had fought so hard, so why had it all been for nothing? Why was he so weak that he had been captured? Why had he allowed the others to be hurt? He had become so damn weak…_

 _Even so, that was not reason to give up. He had to keep fighting. For he was still here, and even though he couldn't be classed as "whole", he was here, just like Al had fought on. As long as he was alive, he would fight to the bitter end. And that included now._

 _Especially now. Always now. It was strange how he could watch over the world through another's eyes…when it was his own body…that sent shivers running through his consciousness. He looked down on the events going around him, powerless, like peering through a murky lake of water. His body was in control of the Homunculus, and here he was trapped inside as a spirit, but where was his soul? It had to be somewhere, otherwise he wouldn't be alive._

 _He knew that he didn't have a soul, as he felt empty. The opposite of Alphonse, who felt hollow without his body…Ed had his body but felt hollow without a soul. There were thousands of souls around him at that moment, but none were his own. Would he ever be able to regain control of his body without his soul?_

 _Edward realized how little he knew, but arrogantly, he still decided to fight on, and push harder to break the crystal ball of souls that surrounded him at every corner._

 _He was but a strand of spirit, the connective medium between the body and soul. His spirit was trapped inside of the Homunculus and the body was being run by the parasite. Where was his soul?_

 _"_ _Mr Alc-he-mist!" Edward heard a familiar voice ringing from his memories. The Gate. The Truth._

 _Oh Hell…_

 _He imagined his non-existent hands pulling through his hair as though he was in the shower. It couldn't be…goddammit._

 _But he knew that it was true, what he was thinking._

 _He remembered._

 _His soul was stuck in the Gate._

Happiness is just another unattainable illusion.

 _He wouldn't stop fighting now though; he would never stop fighting._

 _His whole being and presence writhed with the need to be free, and escape the chaos of the souls that surrounded him. He wanted to break free._

 _And he wanted this Homunculus to stop being so damn useless._

 _Ed could feel his anger and frustration radiate outwards slightly – which was an under exaggeration to say the least – as the urge to shatter the chain around him increased in intensity, like a pain in his mind he could feel literally._

 _Roy and Winry were there. They needed him, and he wanted nothing more than to be hit over the head by Winry's wrench and put Mustang in his place about who was the better alchemist._

 _He also wanted to stab Envy through the gut a thousand times until the Homunculus had suffered the death he had felt._

 _But he had come back, and goddamn he wasn't planning to surrender yet. Not ever._

* * *

Everything stopped… everything slowed down to a halt.

I looked up to the sky, feeling devoid of every emotion that was swelling through me at the speed of light. I wanted this moment to be infinite and to last forever; that way I would not have to enter the reality I was being thrown into. The sky was lit up by the celestial powers, the stars invisible, and the sun shining, but that light would be fleeting and would not stay forever. In this universe, nothing was infinite, and just like the truth, reality was finite.

The Interlude of Day and Night was not eternal after all.

The screaming voice inside of my soul silenced. He had witnessed the memories, the thoughts of irrevocable love, crawl through our minds. He yearned to return to that moment. He yearned to be free of the chains that bound him; Edward Elric's love for the man flooded through me. I experienced what he was feeling. We had been one on the hill. We were one.

But I was Pride…

How foolish could I be?

I have been proud, too proud to deny the truth that had presented itself before my eyes. Father had created me in his ideal image; I would not succumb to any other deadly Sin. I had not been designed to feel lust, envy, wrath, greed, gluttony or sloth. There was only pride…

I should not have been able to feel anger; although it had burnt through my veins as I had experienced the injustice of people I…he…had known and loved. My…his…determination to set wrongs right in the world had become paramount in our minds. We were one.

He was a soul trying to escape from the crystal ball. It had started to crack, allowing wisps of his consciousness to flood into mine. But even Edward Elric could not be contained by Father, who would soon possess the power to overcome the people of not just Amestris, but every land beyond its border…

"No…you're not a Homunculus…for goodness sake snap out of his Elric!" Roy shouted, wrestling against the sudden slap of a tail from Envy that had pinned him to the ground. Envy was chuckling, while the girl…Winry, screamed.

"You…monster!" she cried, and I did not know whether she had hurled the insult at Envy or I. I didn't notice what Envy replied to her; his words became lost as I stared at the man who was Ed's lover. Rich dark eyes were staring into my soulless ones. The black orbs were burying themselves deeper, as if trying to find Ed trapped within my Philosopher's Stone.

What was the point in living…in loving…when one day all would be lost? Homunculi were the closest beings to gods, and even we were not immortal. There wasn't enough time…

"Please answer me, brat," Roy choked, reaching out with a hand towards me. Envy said something taunting again, and his tail hit the man like a lance, stabbing him deep in the gut. Roy's body lurched and he was winded. I saw the man gasp several deep breaths as he attempted to recover the lost oxygen.

It was only a few atoms, but the desperation I could see revealed just how much Roy Mustang had lost. My…his…memories of the man revealed a stubborn, vindictive bastard who even though behaved like a bastard could be a decent human being if he tried and didn't slack off the job. He could be a hero, and not the type of heroes who earnt their fame dipped bloody on the battlefield, but the type of hero who made a difference to individuals, someone who took the time to not only take care of the world, but the unique identities that occupied this place. He could be a schmoozer and persuasive superior officer where he could woo a woman with several sentences. But he was bisexual that didn't come too much as a surprise. He knew how to laugh, and found it harder to cry, and he had found a way to lock the nightmares away so he could never forget, but forgive his past self of his crimes. He was foolish and arrogant by wanting to change the world by himself. He hated to rely upon the ones he wanted to protect.

He was a bastard Colonel.

I couldn't cry out. I wasn't him. I wasn't Ed. How long and how many times would I have to clarify this point inside of my mind? I could not be him.

Edward Elric was still alive in a sense, but for the most part he was dead. In order for something to be gained, first something of equal value must be lost.

That was alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange.

A life for a life.

A parasite was born as a lover was killed.

Pride…who cowered beneath the knees of a monster.

Pride shouldn't bow to anyone.

Pride…who walked away from the danger.

Pride should have taken the final blow.

Pride should have been bleeding and broken and Pride still wouldn't then accept defeat.

Pride was about power, not just obtaining it, or admiring it, but consolidating the position of power, and not surrendering despite any consequence.

"Play time is over!" Envy grabbed my body with his claw-like limb, and lifted me into the air, and he was doing the same with Roy on the other side. Winry was smashing her bag against the tail of Envy, but with a lazy flick, Winry was sent flying back first into a tree, where she slipped silently to the ground, stunned.

"Miss Rockbell! Why you devil, what the Hell are you doing, you filthy maggot-infested scum!" Roy taunted, his eyes flashing dangerously as he kicked and struggled against the Homunculus' relentless grip. But where there was a space before, Envy's grip would claim that space, and the grip on the black-haired man would only tighten.

Roy was dragging his finger in a pattern over Envy's skin, which glistened with the General's bright red blood and as soon as he completed the circle, the blue sparks of alchemy were rapidly followed with the screams of the Homunculus. Envy's tail dropped to the ground, and Envy snarled in pain. However, his Stone activated, and where the tail had been absent one second, was it filled with another tail. Organic matter swirled in to replace what had been lost. Envy rolled his neck from side to side and grinned maddeningly, to which Roy began to look afraid.

If he had no hopes at beating a Homunculus, then how could he defeat Father?

I realized that the battle of humans against the Homunculi could be seen as futile, for my Father would soon become the One of this universe, and nobody would be able to stop him.

 _Oh Hell with that!_ the voice suddenly screamed in my mind.

Edward Elric was fighting. His spirit was fighting from deep inside of me. I could see memories flooding before my eyes.

 _Do something!_

 _Damn useless fool – save him!_

And memories of my fight with Envy, as well as tutelage with a fearsome teacher melded in my mind. I lunged forward, kicking will all the strength of this tiny body, and hit Envy in the jaw. He staggered backwards, the pressure dropping Roy. I was breathing heavily but the adrenaline was ringing inside my mind. This was the benefit of having a human body…. a euphoric smile stretched across my face at having defeated my sibling with an attack…

He had far more experience than I did. Then I assume he never had a teacher as fearsome as I… _we_ did.

Although as Envy struggled to rise from the dirt, I realized I was counting my good luck far too soon. Roy Mustang looked over in my direction, thoroughly confused. I motioned with my head towards the ensuing fight, and shouted, "I'll need a weapon, alchemist!"

Before we could react, an angry tail as fast as a viper slammed into the earth, snaking around the General once again, squeezing him so his neck turned purple.

"To Hell with that," the General gasped under his breath, his teeth bared as he struggled to free himself from the constricting touch of my sibling. Even though I was offering my support by attacking the Homunculus, he still didn't want to trust me? Stubborn bastard…

These strange thoughts were like concoctions in my mind, with an unusual and exotic flavour; I was not used to feeling this blend of emotions. Usually my mind was numb, but not because I was subservient like a dog, I agreed more closely to the fact that I didn't afford to care about such petty matters. My life revolved around performing my duty as one of the Seven to oversee the Promised Day as Father absorbed the power of God-

 _Just help him, dumbass! Keep fighting!_

The voice threw me off balance and I shook my head, trying to dispel the voice that belonged to my very Core, the reason I existed in this world. To serve Father loyally and for eternity. I was made immortal for that reason, but the voice in my head was writhing, struggling against the binds of thousands of souls that kept it locked in a tempest. It was breaking free, although Edward Elric was close.

"Ah," Roy grunted in pain as Envy dug in deeper. He stared at the cold, hard earth and then looked over in my direction. Something vaguely familiar flashed within his eyes, and he reached up with his finger to etch a shaky transmutation circle onto the base of Envy's tail, and once completed, the alchemy began to glow with a ghostly-blue light as it exploded with a burst of flame. However, the crimson red alchemy of the Philosopher's Stone followed immediately afterwards as the wound began to heal itself.

Roy had been dropped once again, his breathing heavy and his head of bed hair obscuring his features. However, as he raised his head, I could discern a smirk resting happily on his lips. "Catch," he said, and a poorly-made spear was thrown in my direction. It wasn't a scythe, but it was a weapon, and something I needed right now. It was the most beautiful piece of deadly steel in the world.

"Finally, bastard," I muttered under my breath, and together we moved forward, metal and flames at the ready.

However, my concentration lapsed momentarily when another huge explosion rang out, and the green Homunculus writhed in agony. The explosion was no longer at the base of its tail; it had moved upwards. And seconds later, another explosion sounded further up, shining like the moon through mist.

 _Delay transmutation._

The phrase rang as clear as a bell inside of my head.

How was Roy doing that?

How did he know about that absurd theory that had destroyed my family?

I couldn't waste another second; the effects of Roy's transmutation could disperse like dust at any moment.

I jabbed my spear behind Envy's neck, the mass of human souls crying out in plaintive agony. There was nothing I could do for them. I could hear them from my Core every second of every day and nothing I could do could make them stop. But what Envy tried to do was forget about the pain of those individuals, the women, men and children. They couldn't and wouldn't ever be forgotten, not if they could help it. They each had unfinished business, and while they were writhing on Envy's green skin, as dim and distant as an animal, inside they were still functioning.

They had dreams that couldn't be meant but they could still keep fighting for the day that the monster that robbed them of their bodies could be destroyed.

That is what I heard inside of me.

But at the source of my Core, where Father's words whispered in my mind of loyalty, fealty and promises, Edward had replaced him as the loudest of them all.

 _Dammit – don't leave the side open!_

 _Dodge the hand flying towards-_

And true enough to the Fullmetal Alchemist's prediction, a hand from one of the human souls came plummeting down towards my head, as if trying to reach for the body I still possessed. The body they had spent decades yearning for nonstop.

Envy had ceased shrieking, and one of his limbs shot out like gunk in my direction. I parried the blow with my spear, but the weapon snapped upon impact. I leapt out of my sibling's path, and I darted around the Homunculus to his other side. His huge head turned around to be greeted by a mouth of flame hotter than an iron forge. Envy wailed once more.

I had fallen back into the natural rhythm of battle, the familiar stances and kicks and positons I had practiced so many times with my heart, my brother. He was my dearest friend, but in a fight the competiveness with him never matched the intensity I felt as I did with a certain bastard Mustang. Silently we goaded each other on, each one wanting to prove the other which one was superior, but no matter what, we were equals. Neither could defeat the other. The only difference is that he was too damn tall.

When we were competing against each other, the crowds decided to turn and run. When we fought together for a common cause, we wouldn't be beaten. My body danced as it had a thousand times.

And somewhere inside of me, I truly felt at peace, like I was slipping away…I was calm in the frenzy of battle…

 _About time!_

A voice called, and then I lost control of my vessel, as Edward took my complacency as an opportunity to take over. For I had done none of those things I had felt; that privilege belonged to the Fullmetal Alchemist alone.

"You great big ugly mutt, look at me!"

…

"Yes, I'm talking about you!"

…

"Don't you ever dare call me _pipsqueak_ again…"

* * *

 _The Interlude of Day and Night refers to twilight, the period between daytime and night-time. This time occurs in three phases after sunset: Civil, Nautical and Astronomical Twilight._

 _Civil is the first stage of twilight, directly before the dawn or after sunset._


End file.
